Teen drives at 210kph during 65km garda chase in Tipperary

A teenager has been arrested after hitting speeds of over 210km/hr while being chased by gardaí for 65km.
Teen drives at 210kph during 65km garda chase in Tipperary

A teenager has been arrested after hitting speeds of over 210km/hr while being chased by gardaí for 65km.

The incident occurred on Wednesday night at around 9.30pm when gardaí from the Thurles Roads Policing Unit were operating a speed checkpoint on the M7 at Birdhill in Tipperary.

A car was detected travelling at 183km/hr and gardaí were forced to pursue the vehicle.

A managed pursuit from a safe distance ensued for 65kms with the offending car increasing its speed to over 210km/hr at times during the chase.

Gardaí said that they also witnessed numerous instances of dangerous driving in what were wet conditions on the night of the pursuit.

Assistance was requested from Gardaí in Laois but, before they arrived on the scene, the car stopped in Borris In Ossory - some 65km away from where it was initially detected.

The driver, a man aged in his late teens, was arrested and brought to Nenagh Garda Station.

He was later charged in relation to the incident and is due to appear Nenagh District Court at a later date.

Roads Policing Inspector Mark Allen said the incident highlighted the dangers of speeding and that law enforcement can never be complacent about road safety.

Excessive or inappropriate speed contributes to serious injuries and fatalities on the roads.

"Our overall objective in the Roads Policing Unit is to reduce the number of speed related collisions, save lives and reduce injuries.

"I would like everyone to be mindful that when you get behind the wheel, driving over the speed limit puts lives at risk so please, slow down and drive safely," he said.

This year has already seen an increase in the number of fatalities on Irish roads compared to 2019.

Garda statistics show that a total of 73 people have lost their lives this year - an increase of three on the first six months of 2019.

The Road Safety Authority and Gardaí have expressed concern about the figures - in particular the doubling in pedestrian deaths so far in 2020.

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