The scene yesterday. Pic Joe Boland NorthWestNewsPix for DD
The horrific road crash which left a Garda car destroyed and a Garda in hospital almost took the lives of TWO other Gardai.
The dramatic incident happened in the early hours of yesterday morning when a Fiat Punto ploughed into a patrol car between Ballybofey and Donegal Town.
But Donegal Daily can reveal that sheer luck resulted in TWO other Gardai avoiding serious injury or death.
We have learned that the Gardai car pursuing the Fiat Punto managed to stop just inches from the car when it smashed into another Garda car.
It has also been revealed that another officer got out of the Garda vehicle which was struck by the speeding car to deploy a stinger device.
A Garda spokesman revealed how the injured Garda, named locally as Garda Evan Joyce who is stationed at Lifford Garda station, is lucky to be alive.
The spokesman said the incident was almost a carbon-copy of another incident in which Garda Gary McLoughlin lost his life when his patrol car was struck by a stolen car in December 2009.
Garda McLoughlin, 24, from Ballinamore, Co Leitrim, was injured and later died after the crash at Lisfannon on the Letterkenny to Bridgend Road after gardaí were alerted to a car driving off from a filling station at high speed.
His colleague, Garda Bernard McLoughlin, from Gurteen, Co Sligo, was also injured in the incident.
A Garda spokesman said of yesterday’s incident “It really is a miracle that the Garda was not killed. He was so lucky. The lads were deploying the stinger when al of a sudden their vehicle was struck.
“One of the lads was still in the car and he is so lucky that he escaped with his life. It was a carbon copy of what happened to the late Garda Gary McLaughlin,” he said.
The garda inside had to be cut from the vehicle by the fire service and was rushed to Letterkenny University Hospital.
Miraculously his injuries were minor and he was released from hospital yesterday.
The driver of the Punto, understood to be a man from Derry, is still in hospital in Letterkenny and is under Garda surveillance.
He is understood to have suffered back injuries.
He is expected to appear at a sitting of the courts in the coming days.
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