A young man who was struck by a Garda car near Tallaght in Dublin died in hospital yesterday evening.
Philip Hogarty (19), from Tallaght, a pedestrian, was hit by the car on the Blessington Road, near the Cheeverstown Road junction, at about 2.30am yesterday.
He was taken to the nearby Adelaide and Meath Hospital in Tallaght in a critical condition. He was placed on life support and his family gathered around him early yesterday.
Mr Hogarty had no involvement with gardaí in the car prior to the incident and was not being pursued when the incident happened.
The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) was called in immediately after the incident happened, a spokesman for the commission said.
Under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner must refer a case to the GSOC where it appears that the conduct of a member of the Garda Síochána may have resulted in the serious injury or death of a person.
In practice, the referral is usually done at operational level, typically by a superintendent or inspector.
The GSOC opened its office to the public last May.
The GSOC spokesman said investigators had visited the scene, carried out a technical examination and liaised with the man's family.
He said witnesses to the incident would be sought.
The spokesman said he could give no further information as the investigation was under way.
He said he could not give details on how many Garda members were in the car, who was driving, or the licence status of the driver.
Asked if drivers of Garda cars were routinely breathalysed in such incidents, the spokesman said that "a full investigation" was carried out in all cases and this included many different factors, depending on the particular set of circumstances.
He said it was not possible to say when the investigation would be concluded.
On conclusion of an investigation, the GSOC has a number of options. It can recommend that no further action be taken, or it can direct that the file be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
It can also direct that the file be sent to the Garda Commissioner, who has the power to initiate a disciplinary process if he believes it is necessary.
The incident at Tallaght was the only major incident reported by the Garda Press Office in Dublin on New Year's Eve.
A Garda spokesman said it was a "fairly uneventful night", much like a busy Saturday night.
A spokesman for the Dublin Fire Brigade said the emergency services were busy but most call-outs were "run-of-the mill stuff" involving drunkenness and assaults.
