Three injured in hit-and-run as car mounts pavement
A 19-YEAR-OLD man is in a critical condition after a hit-andrun motorist collided with three pedestrians in west Dublin.
Gardaí are investigating the incident, which occurred near Coolmine train station, Blanchardstown, during rush hour about 9.30am yesterday.
Two male pedestrians, aged 54 and 19, were seriously injured when struck by the car.
The 19-year-old is understood to be in a critical condition in Connolly Hospital.
A female pedestrian also sustained minor injuries in the incident.
The driver of the car failed to stay at the scene and fled.
The shocking incident occurred yards away from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s home.
During a follow-up operation, a man in his 30s was arrested a short time later in connection to the incident.
His car, a Seat with a 171-D registration, was recovered at the nearby Bell pub in Blanchardstown.
According to gardaí, he was last night detained for questioning in relation to the incident, under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984, at Blanchardstown garda station.
The road leading to the railway crossing was closed for a technical examination and local diversions were put in place.
Garda forensic collision investigators were examining the scene. Rail services at Coolmine station were not affected.
Residents in the adjacent area were also prohibited from driving out of their cul-de-sac for some time as gardaí assessed the scene.
Articles of clothing could be seen on the footpath within the sealed-off area – understood to have been deliberately left behind by medical personnel.
A grey Nissan was parked close to where the incident took place, but sources say it had no involvement in the collision.
Residents and rail commuters expressed their shock in the immediate aftermath of the incident.
“I was woken up by the sirens from all the Garda cars and ambulances,” said an elderly man from nearby Kirkpatrick Drive.
“When I came out and saw all the commotion around the railway crossing, I thought that someone must have taken their life.
“Then I witnessed someone being taken away in an ambulance. I couldn’t see how badly the man was injured but I was later told that it was very serious.”
A mother with her two-yearold daughter said she considered herself lucky that they weren’t in the area at the time.
“We walk past this level crossing most mornings at around 9.30am, but I got held up at home. After hearing what happened, I’m just so shocked. We could have easily been caught up in it.”
Cllr Roderic O’Gorman said the area around Coolmine train station was always bustling with commuters on their way to work or college.
“This shocking and very upsetting incident occurred in an area that’s hugely used by pedestrians getting the train, especially in the morning,” he said.
Gardaí are now appealing for witnesses to the collision.