Garda Dragged By Vehicle Driven By Drunken Driver

A male officer; member of An Garda Siochána, suffered serious injuries on Saturday last, after being dragged by a Jeep driven by a suspected drunken driver, close to the village of Birdhill, in North Co. Tipperary.

The officer was rushed to University Hospital Limerick where he was found to have suffered serious head injuries, a broken ankle and numerous other cuts and bruises, following incident which occurred at 6.50pm.

It is understood that Gardaí initially responded to a call in relation to a possible drunk driver in the Birdhill area at 5:50pm. Gardaí observed a man entering a Jeep. The driver failed to stop when requested, and drove towards the village of Birdhill. At a junction in Birdhill, the vehicle lost control, before colliding with a sign post. A Garda officer then approached the suspects car from the passenger window side of the Jeep, before it suddenly speed off towards the Limerick Road, leaving the officer clinging onto the vehicle’s side.

Following the incident, a man in his 50’s was subsequently arrested and detained for questioning at Nenagh Garda Station.