Hunt for driver after pensioner injured in road rage attack

Elderly pedestrian, punched in Ballincollig incident, taken to Cork University Hospital

The scene in Ballincollig of a suspected road rage incident in which a pensioner was attacked.

Gardaí are hunting for a motorist who attacked and punched an elderly pedestrian during a suspected road rage incident in Cork.

They are trawling through CCTV footage from the Old Fort Road area of Ballincollig in a bid to trace the motorist’s movements.

They have also appealed to witnesses or any motorists who were on the road near the town’s McDonald’s fast-food outlet, and who may have dashcam footage of the area, to contact them.

The incident occurred at around 3.30pm on Thursday after a man in his 70s had crossed the road around the same time as a black car, believed to be a Skoda Fabia, passed.

It is believed that the motorist did a u-turn and drove back towards the pedestrian and that an altercation ensued before the motorist got out of the car and attacked the pedestrian on the footpath.

Video footage, which has been seen by the Irish Examiner, shows the elderly man being punched several times about the head and upper body.

There is a struggle and he falls onto the road. He can be seen lying motionless as his attacker stands over him.

An elderly woman tries to come to the man’s aid but is pushed away by the attacker, who then walks calmly towards the black car, before the video ends.

The motorist, who has black hair, and who was wearing blue jeans, a black jumper over a white shirt, then leaves the scene, driving in a westerly direction along Old Fort Road.

The man was taken by ambulance to Cork University Hospital with what gardaí described as non-life-threatening injuries.

“No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing. Gardaí are appealing for witnesses this incident, or motorists with camera footage, to contact Ballincollig Garda Station 021-421 4680,” a garda spokesman said.