The garda who suffered life-changing injuries when he was involved in a road traffic collision on the N25 in east Cork, was responding to a call that an elderly female motorist was in difficulty on the Youghal bypass, The Irish Times has learned.
The officer, who is in his late 40s and attached to the Midleton Traffic Corps, was on patrol in an unmarked Garda car when he received the call that a car belonging to an elderly woman had broken down on the slow lane of the Youghal bypass just before 7pm on Sunday night.
Weather conditions were atrocious at the time, with heavy wind and rain. It is understood that the officer had just left his car and was standing at the rear of the vehicle when another car collided with him, pinning him between the two cars.
The man suffered catastrophic injuries to both legs. When the emergency services arrived, paramedics worked to stabilise his condition before he was rushed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital. Doctors were forced to amputate his right leg below the knee.
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The man also suffered extensive fractures to his left leg as well as other internal injuries as his condition remained critical on Sunday night; but on Monday, the man who has since been put in an induced coma, was described as being “serious but stable”.
It is understood that the driver of the other vehicle involved in the collision, a man, was also taken to Cork University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The motorist who the garda stopped to assist was treated for shock.
Gardaí closed the Youghal bypass following the accident and put diversions in place. The road remained closed until late on Monday afternoon to allow a Garda Forensic Crash investigator to examine the scene.
Meanwhile, gardaí have reiterated their appeal to anyone who witnessed the collision or travelled the Youghal bypass around 7pm on Sunday and have any dash cam footage of the incident, just before the interchange at Clashadonna, to contact them.
In particular, gardaí are keen to speak to any driver that may have observed the broken-down vehicle and stationary Garda car. Anyone who can assist is asked to contact Midleton Garda station on 021 462 1550, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
