Tony Gregory
Question:211 Mr. Gregroy asked the Minister for Justice if the gardaí were in pursuit of a car in which a person (details supplied) in Dublin 1 died when it crashed on 24 November 1993, while in transit from Mountjoy prison. [7680/95]
Written Answers. - Garda Pursuit.
I have referred the Deputy's question to the Garda authorities and they have supplied the following information by way of response. On 24 November 1993, at 1.10 a.m., gardaí, who were driving along North Circular Road, had their attention drawn to a Nissan 200 SX motor vehicle, bearing registration number 89 MN 767, which came towards them from Portland Street North. According to the Garda report, the Garda patrol car turned around and caught up with the other vehicle at the junction of North Circular Road and Russell Street where it had stopped.
The occupants of the car in question saw the patrol car and took off at high speed into Russell Street. The patrol car, according to the Garda report, followed it at safe distance without increasing speed. The vehicle in question continued at high speed along Russell Street and Jones Road and, at the junction of Jones Road and Clonliffe Road, drove through the red traffic light and collided with a lamp post on Clonliffe Road. One of the occupants of the car died later that day and the other — the person named by the Deputy — died four months later on 28 March 1994.
While the Garda patrol car had seen the vehicle in question prior to the accident, it was not, according to the Garda report, in immediate pursuit of the vehicle and came upon the accident a short time later.
The motor vehicle bearing registration number 89 MN 767 had been the subject of an unauthorised taking from Orwell Road, Rathgar, on the 14 November 1993.