‘She was screaming’: Locals in shock after car strikes six teenagers in south Dublin

Locals in the Monkstown Farm area of south Dublin have spoken of their shock at a car leaving the road on Sunday and striking a group of six teenagers.A barber, Roberto Gallarda, said he was working at Monkstown Barbers, one of a number of shops on Oliver Plunkett Road near the junction with Kill Avenue, Dún Laoghaire, at about 3pm when the incident occurred.“I heard the noise and went out, and there was a car, a large SUV, and a girl with her leg caught between the car and the pole. She was screaming,” he said. His colleague Pedro Moreno said he looked out of an upstairs window when he heard the noise. READ MORE“The car had left the road and lifted a bin before hitting a group of young people and some cement poles,” he said. The young people, three boys and three girls aged between 13 and 15, had been standing outside the Nearby convenience store, which Moreno said was a popular place for teenagers to gather. Moreno said he understood the dark-coloured Nissan X-Trail car had mounted the kerb, narrowly missing a bus stop and hitting the bin, before striking the people. Eight people were given immediate medical attention: the six young people, the woman driver of the car and another young man, who witnessed the incident and was severely traumatised by what he saw.One woman, emerging from the convenience store on Monday morning, said she had been on the scene of the crash at the time, but could not speak of the events as she had been so fearful that “my own young fellah was one of them”. [ Teenagers left with life-changing injuries following crash in south DublinOpens in new window ]Locals paid tribute to emergency service personnel who arrived quickly on the scene. One man, who declined to be named, said locals believed that the woman driver may have had “some sort of a medical episode”.It is understood that a number of the young people have been left with life-changing injuries from the incident.Three pedestrians were taken to Children’s Health Ireland Temple Street and three to Children’s Health Ireland Crumlin to be treated for a range of injuries. Some of those injured were left in a critical condition. The Garda said the witness, a 15-year-old boy, was taken to Tallaght Hospital. An Garda Síochána has appointed a number of family liaison officers, and an incident room has been set up in Dún Laoghaire Garda station. A senior investigating officer has also been appointed. Gardaí said they are seeking the help of anyone who was on Oliver Plunkett Road in Dún Laoghaire on Sunday between 3pm and 3.15pm.Any road users who may have camera footage, including dashcam footage, from the area at the time are asked to make this footage available to gardaí.The Garda said: “A dark brown Nissan X-Trail travelled from the Kill Avenue direction on to Oliver Plunkett Road. Anyone who observed this vehicle between 2.45pm and 3.15pm is also asked to speak to investigating gardaí.”Anyone with any information is asked to contact Dún Laoghaire Garda station on (01) 6665000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.