A woman suffered serious leg injuries while her two-month old baby had a narrow escape after a motorist lost control of his car and struck the pair on a Cork footpath.
The 34-year-old woman was pushing her son in his buggy along St Ann’s Road in Blarney, heading towards their home near Tower when the motorist lost control of his car.
The vehicle crossed a continuous white line on to the incorrect side of the road before mounting a high kerb and crashing into the woman and the buggy.
The woman ended up in undergrowth, suffering serious leg injuries but the car glanced off the buggy and the child emerged unscathed from the crash which happened at 4.30pm on Tuesday.
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Passing motorists stopped to assist the pair and the emergency services were quickly on the scene and removed the mother and child to Cork University Hospital.
It is understood the baby was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure, but the woman suffered serious injuries to one leg and less serious injuries to the other.
Gardaí arrested the 33-year-old motorist on suspicion of drug driving after he failed a roadside drugs test.
He was taken to Gurranabraher Garda station where he was further tested for drug driving and processed before being released without charge. A file will now be prepared on the case.
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A Garda source said: “The woman suffered a bad leg injury and was in a lot of pain but both she and her baby are lucky to be alive – it was a bad crash, but it could have been so much worse.
“They really are both very fortunate – particularly the baby – to come out of this uninjured because the car must have been travelling to mount what is a good high kerb on the footpath.”
Gardaí forensic crash investigators carried out an examination of the crash scene but did not have to close the road as the car ended up entirely straddling the footpath and undergrowth.
Gardaí have already taken statements from other motorists but have asked anyone who was in the area and has dashcam footage to contact them at Blarney Garda station on 021-4516290.
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