New details emerge over armed chase in Wicklow as gardaí recover suspected getaway car

By Darragh McCann, The Wicklow People

Two men wearing balaclavas and armed with baseball bats, who allegedly chased a man through Kilcoole, Co Wicklow, before overturning an innocent motorist’s car, had first called to a house looking for him.

It is understood the pair first called to a house in the Kilcoole area in search of the man. When they failed to find him, they later spotted him elsewhere in the village and allegedly set off in pursuit.

A Garda source previously told independent.ie the masked men had gone to “put the frighteners on” the man before he fled.

“It appears lads in balaclavas in a car went to put the frighteners on a man and he was running away,” the source said. “The vehicle then got involved in an accident and caused another unrelated vehicle to overturn.”

During the alleged chase, the suspect’s vehicle, which is believed to be an Audi, collided with an innocent motorist driving a Dacia, overturning the vehicle and leaving the driver requiring hospital treatment.

The scene of a car crash in Kilcoole on Tuesday, July 7. © Shayne Phelan

A senior source said that detectives are still trying to establish the motive behind the incident but are “keeping an open mind”.

The two armed men abandoned their vehicle and fled the scene on foot. However, it is understood they were later collected by another vehicle.

As part of the investigation, gardaí recovered what they believe to be the getaway car in the Shankill area of Dublin on Wednesday.

Emergency services, including Garda units, the Garda Air Support Unit and four fire appliances from Bray and Greystones Fire Service, attended the scene.