Gardaí recover car involved in Cork hit and run

Gardaí investigating a hit and run in which a 12-year-old boy was injured in Co Cork have recovered the car involved and appealed to the driver to come forward.

The boy received serious but non-life threatening injuries when he was struck by a silver BMW which failed to stop as he was crossing Thomas Davis Street in Blackpool around 9.50pm on Wednesday.

The boy had been with some friends who raised the alarm after he was hit by the vehicle near the former post office, close to his family home in Blackpool village.

The boy, a member of the Roma community, was rushed by family members in their car to the Mercy University Hospital, where he remained yesterday in a comfortable condition.

Gardaí were notified and the road was closed for a period to allow a Garda forensic crash investigator to examine the scene for debris which would help them identify the car involved.

Eye witnesses told gardaí that the car, which had come from the Old Mallow Road/Blackpool Shopping Centre direction, then swung right over Blackpool Bridge after hitting the boy.

But witnesses were unsure whether the car turned on to Great William O’Brien Street towards Shandon Street and the city centre, or whether it went out the Commons Road away from town.

Officers also began examining CCTV footage in the area in the hope of identifying the saloon type car, which witnesses described as having yellow number plates and several passengers on board.

Gardaí issued a public appeal for information and received a huge response. Around lunch hour yesterday officers found the car in the Shandon area of the city and removed it to a secure location.

Garda technical experts yesterday carried out a forensic examination of the vehicle to try and identify the driver of the car, which was fitted with Northern Ireland number plates.

They appealed to the driver of the car or anyone who may have seen the car before or after the hit and run to contact them at Mayfield Garda Station on 021-4558510.