Gardai were last night searching for the driver of a four-wheel-drive vehicle involved in what appeared to be the State's first "road rage" killing of a 21-year-old man in south Dublin early yesterday.
The vehicle, a grey UK-registered Vauxhall Frontera, was discovered by gardai last night in Crumlin.
However, by late last night the driver had still to be located. Det Supt P.J. Browne, who is operational head of the investigation, appealed to the driver to come forward.
The incident happened at 5.30 a.m. at the junction of the South Circular Road and Emor Street.
The man was walking across Emor Street with three companions on their way home when the Frontera drove near them, being just about to turn into Emor Street. It is believed they shouted at the driver, who stopped and got out.
An argument started, and one of the four men was assaulted. The driver was alleged to have then crossed the road and had an argument with the 21-year-old. The driver is understood to have got back into the vehicle, and the man was knocked down, receiving head injuries.
The vehicle was driven off along the South Circular Road in the direction of Leonard's Corner.
The 21-year-old man, who is believed to come from the Templeogue area of Dublin, was taken to St James's Hospital where he died at 8 a.m. His body was removed to the City Morgue where a post-mortem examination was carried out by the State Pathologist, Dr John Harbison, yesterday afternoon.
Following the incident, gardai at Kevin Street opened an incident centre and are appealing for witnesses or anybody with information to come forward.
The scene was sealed off from the time of the incident for detailed forensic examination.
Det Supt Browne said: "We are treating the incident as murder. Anybody with information should contact the Kevin Street incident centre. No advance has been made in our inquiries yet."
The numbers of the Kevin Street incident centre are 016669434, 6669432 and 6669425.