Teen among three held as patrol cars are rammed

GARDAÍ have arrested three people, including a 16-year-old, following a high-speed car chase that resulted in two patrol cars being rammed.

The three suspects and two gardaí received minor injuries following the incident near the village of The Neale in Co. Mayo in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The chase began after a Skoda Octavia, that had been reported stolen from the Derrywash area, south of Castlebar, was spotted by gardaí. A patrol car was rammed twice by the Skoda on the Castlebar to Ballinrobe road at around 3.30am.

A second patrol car that joined the chase nearer to Ballinrobe was also rammed around an hour later.

The stolen car was found on the Kilmaine Road, near to the scene of the second ramming. The three suspects were then taken into custody. Two of the three are in their early 20s. The third is 16 years old.

All three are being held for questioning at Castlebar Garda Station.

Sources told the Irish Daily Mail that it is lucky all the injuries to the suspects and the gardaí were minor as it ‘could have been a far more serious’ incident.

All injured parties were treated at Mayo University Hospital, Castlebar, but were later discharged.

Members of the Armed Support Unit were also involved in the arrest operation.

Gardaí said in a statement: ‘Three males believed to have been in the stolen Skoda car were all arrested at the scene at approximately 4.30am and are detained at Castlebar Garda Station.’