A crazed driver carried a garda on his car as he sped off just before his vehicle was about to be taken from him.
The cop is recovering from his injuries at his home after being released from Naas Hospital following Friday night’s incident.
The suspect had been stopped near the Barberstown Roundabout in Straffan, Kildare just before midnight.
Read More : The 'energy-guzzling' appliances you should cut back on - kettle, stove and more
As gardai engaged with the man, who is a 22-year-old Romanian national, it’s understood they established he was already disqualified from driving.
They were in the process of seizing the vehicle under the Road Traffic Act when the driver sped off.
One of the gardai tried to stop him, but was carried on the vehicle for a distance before he fell off.
The cop, based in the Leixlip District, suffered head and upper body injuries.
A source said: “It was an extremely dangerous incident and on other days, there could have been a fatality.
“Thankfully, this garda was treated in hospital and given to go ahead to go home where he’ll now recover.”
The BMW in question was later found crashed in Straffan Village.
Gardai hunting the driver arrested a man on Saturday morning after a search of the area by a number of units.
Brendan O’Connor, the President of the Garda Representative Association, last night wished his colleague a speedy recovery. But he said the incident highlights how dangerous traffic stops or any interaction involving vehicles is.
O’Connor told the Irish Mirror/The Star: “The GRA has repeatedly called for better training for members to try and mitigate or reduce some of the risks.
“We have consistently called for out of car safety training for all operational members which currently is not provided.
“Any situation where members are operating in live traffic has the potential to become life threatening in an instant.
“Better awareness and more training is a tool used by any employer to reduce workplace incidents that result in injury.
“And we would certainly like to see more focus on these incidents from a health and safety perspective as well as the criminal investigation.”
The suspect is in 20s and was being detained at Leixlip Garda Station under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 last night.
Gardai are now working to establish if the car had been involved in any incidents before Friday’s incident.
Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to this incident to come forward.
A spokesman said: “Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling in the Straffan/Barberstown Cross areas and the Straffan Village area between 11:40pm and 12:15am are asked to make this footage available to gardai.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact Leixlip Garda Station on 016667800, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.”
Earlier this year, a man was jailed for two years after he dragged a garda along the ground while driving away in a car which gardai were attempting to seize.
John Jervis, 43, was given permission by gardaí to get tools out of one of two cars they were attempting to seize, but he then got into a car and drove away while a garda was holding onto his shoulder.
Jervis of Cranouge Road, Ballymun, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Courts to endangerment at that address on November 5, 2020.
Judge Greally sentenced Jervis to two-and-a-half years imprisonment, but suspended the final six months.
READ NEXT :
Vogue Williams claims airplane story was 'joke that didn't land' after backlash
Met Eireann's amazing five day forecast has brutal end for Electric Picnic fans
Amy Huberman opens up on death of dad saying she's delighted he met new baby
Founder of food bank 'curled up on her couch and cried' after verbal abuse
Fighting, soiling, sexual harassment among 760 incidents on Irish trains this year
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter
