Woman seriously injured after being hit by teenager on scrambler bike

Gardaí are looking for a teenager who crashed into a woman on his scrambler bike and then went into a canal.

The incident happened at Drimnagh Luas stop, Davitt Road at lunchtime on Thursday afternoon.

The woman was waiting at the stop when the teenager came along on his scrambler and hit her.

Upon impact the motorbike and the youth went into the Grand Canal beside the Luas stop. The youth managed to swim to the side of the canal and left the scene on another motorbike.

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The woman was removed to St James’s Hospital with serious injuries.

There have been several other incidents involving quad bikes and scramblers in recent months.

At Christmas a young child on a mini scrambler bike was seen crashing into a pole in Dublin. The video was uploaded to social media and widely shared.

Around the same time a pregnant woman was hit by someone riding a scrambler in Summerhill; on Christmas night, off-road bikes were used to destroy playing pitches on Benmadigan Road in Drimnagh; and in Ballymun a quad-bike was involved a serious crash involving two cars.

The outgoing government has suggested changing road safety legislation to make it easier for gardaí to clamp down on the “anarchy” of quad bikes and scramblers being driven dangerously in public places.

The Department of Transport is currently looking at “specific” proposals made by Garda management that would hand the force powers to “seize and detain” motocross vehicles and prosecute riders for careless or dangerous driving.

The proposals come almost a year and a half after a "cross-agency" group, involving several government departments, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and the Garda, was set up to look at the problem.

Scramblers and quad bikes are meant for off-road use and do not have a licence plate or tax disc. Those who ride them do not require a driver’s licence or insurance though you must be at least 16 to qualify for a licence to drive on a public road.

Up to now, it has been legally unclear if offences under road traffic legislation – such as careless or dangerous driving – can apply in public parks and other green spaces.

Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to the incident to contact them or any road users who were in the area and may have dash cam footage of the incident or at the time of the incident, to contact them at Sundrive Road Garda Station on 01 - 6666600, the Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.