Eight male juveniles have been arrested following a high-speed Garda pursuit across counties Kilkenny and Waterford on Monday evening.
The incident began when two stolen vehicles failed to stop for gardaí in Kilkenny shortly before 6pm.
A chase ensued which led officers through the town of Ballyragget and on to Kilkenny city. Gardaí then made the decision to stop the pursuit out of safety concerns for road users.
However, the cars were spotted again by gardaí heading in the direction of the M9 motorway southbound and the chase resumed.
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Multiple Garda units from Kilkenny and Carlow were involved in the pursuit, supported by the Garda Air Support Unit. The chase eventually ended near Waterford when gardaí successfully deployed a stinger device to stop both vehicles.
A statement from gardaí said that both offending vehicles were reported to have been subject to “unauthorised taking in recent days”.
“A managed containment operation was put in place during which a stinger device was deployed and the cars were brought to a halt on the N25 at Grannagh Roundabout,” it said.
During the course of the operation, one of the offending vehicles collided with a third, separate vehicle. No injuries were reported.
The juveniles were arrested and detained at Garda stations in the Eastern Region under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
All eight were released without charge pending further investigation and files are being prepared for the Garda Youth Diversion Office.
Investigations are ongoing.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident three juveniles were arrested following a high-speed chase through Co Laois, a Garda spokesperson has confirmed.
On Bank Holiday Monday evening, a stolen car was driven at speed from Dublin to Junction 15 on the M7, between Portlaoise and Monasterevin.
The chase lasted a considerable amount of time and the car was driven down the wrong side of the motorway, and collided with another vehicle on the road.
The driver of the other vehicle was taken to hospital for assessment.
The car came to a stop on the M7 in the Kildare area. Three males, aged in their teens, were arrested and taken to a Garda station in South Dublin.
One of these males, a 14 year old, has been charged.
