Three who fled crashed car arrested after major manhunt

Three men who fled a crashed car were arrested after a large manhunt on the northern fringes of Cork City.

Dozens of gardaí from several stations were involved in the search operation across fields and farmland in the Loughane area near Blarney early yesterday.

While the three, aged 29, 30, and 35, and all with addresses on the northside of the city, were arrested for alleged drunkeness offences, Garda investigations are ongoing.

The search operation was launched after gardaí on patrol in a Garda car in the Fairhill area noticed a Peugeot 308 car, with up to five people inside, being driven erratically at around 8.20am yesterday.

The car failed to stop and drove off towards Blackstone Bridge.

Gardaí followed the car from a safe distance as it drove on towards Blarney. They alerted other Garda units from several neighbouring Garda stations and all units converged on the Blarney area.

The car was driving through the townland of Loughane West, in the Killowen area near Blarney, when the driver lost control of the vehicle and it struck a ditch.

Gardaí arrived on the scene within seconds and saw some of the occupants fleeing on foot into adjoining fields.

A large search operation was mounted with gardaí searching fields, outhouses, and sheds and calling door-to-door to several homes in the area.

A man, 29, who is suspected of being at the wheel of the car, was arrested nearby a short time later.

Gardaí continued searching the area and arrested two more men, who are suspected of being in the car. The search operation continued until around 11am.

The car will undergo forensic examination.

Separately, gardaí have renewed their ‘park safe’ advice following a spate of car break-ins in Ballincollig, west of Cork City, on Friday night. Burglars targeted Aylsbury and neighbouring Lisheen Fields estates and made off with cash, property, and in some cases medicines from several vehicles, many of which had been left unlocked.

Recent Garda figures showed there were almost 170 thefts from vehicle incidents in Cork, Kerry, and Limerick in August, up from 90 in the previous month.