Gardaí in Co Donegal are seeking to speak to three young men after a dummy covered with tomato ketchup was placed by the roadside and struck by a passing car.
The incident, which happened on the R245 road near Milford at around midnight on Sunday, left a motorist thinking they had hit a person.
The motorist got out of their car after the collision and realised they had hit a dummy made using stuffed plastic bags, which was dressed in dark clothing and covered with ketchup.
The driver and passenger travelling in the vehicle were left shaken following the bizarre incident, which happened at The Pans, Cranford and resulted in the car being damaged.
Garda Gráinne Doherty said the force was “following a definite line of inquiry in relation to this incident”.
She said investigating officers were keen to speak to anyone who may have travelled in the area and who may have observed “a white car with three young males on board parked up nearby”.
“This car is believed to have been in the area around the time of the collision and then immediately left in the direction of Carrigart.”
Anyone who travelled along the route between midnight and 1am on Sunday who has dashcam footage is asked to make it available to An Garda Síochána.
“We are very anxious to progress this investigation and we appeal to the males in question to make contact with gardaí in Milford on 074 9153060.”
Donegal has faced a number of road deaths this year already, and a higher than average number over many years.
Official Road Safety Authority data shows 17 road deaths in Donegal last year, the highest number since 2010.
Earlier this month, Natalie McLaughlin and her six-year-old daughter Ella died in a collision near Carndonagh in the county.
