Gardaí hunting car thieves who rammed food delivery driver in Cork hit and run incident

Brazilian man (23) left with serious leg injuries after being hit by stolen car in Beaumont area of city

22/01/2021 ****FILE PHOTO ****
A Garda Car at the CHQ building at The IFSC in Dublin's city Centre 
yesterday.Garda in Store Street investigating the serious assault that occurred on the pedestrian walkway, between Georges Dock and Custom House Quay IFSC Dublin 1 on Wednesday night 20th January 2021 have made an arrest. 
Photo:Gareth Chaney/Collins
Gardaí have appealed to anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in the Mahon, Beaumont and Old Mallow Road areas to contact them at Anglesea Street Garda station. Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Gardaí are searching for a gang of car thieves who chased and rammed a food delivery driver and left him with serious leg injuries in Cork late on Thursday night.

The 23-year-old Brazilian man was allegedly chased by the car thieves from Mahon to Beaumont on the city’s southside before their car hit him on Woodvale Road at about midnight.

They then drove off, leaving the victim lying trapped under his motorbike with serious compound fractures to his leg.

Locals heard the crash and found the man conscious but in extreme pain in the street. They alerted the emergency services.

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Paramedics and five units of Cork City Fire Service attended the scene and stabilised the man before he was taken by ambulance to Cork University Hospital.

Gardaí removed the damaged motorbike for a forensic examination and will begin door-to-door inquiries on Friday.

It is understood the man told gardaí at the scene that he had an earlier interaction with the occupants of the car in the Mahon area and that they had pursued him from there to Beaumont, a distance of about 2km.

Officers believe the car was a Skoda Kodiaq which was stolen from a house in Courtbrack near Blarneyon October 21st.

The stolen car later rammed a Garda car at 2am on the Old Mallow Road on the northside of the city, about 8km from the scene of the hit and run.

Two gardaí in the Garda car were treated for minor injuries at the scene. .

The gang fled in the direction of north Cork. They were encountered by an off-duty garda near Bottle Hill but evaded capture.

Gardaí have appealed to anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in the Mahon, Beaumont and Old Mallow Road areas to contact them at Anglesea Street Garda station on 021-4522000.

Barry Roche

Barry Roche

Barry Roche is Southern Correspondent of The Irish Times