Driver arrested after car speeds into crowds at cemetery, leaving grandfather seriously injured

Vehicle ‘was going erratically’ through graveyard during annual blessing of graves service

People stood in shock after several people were hurt when a car reportedly ploughed into a crowd (PA)

A grandfather was seriously injured when a car drove at high speed into crowds at a cemetery in the Republic of Ireland.

The elderly man was among several people hurt in the "terrifying" incident in Co Louth, the parish priest said.

Thousands of people had gathered for an annual blessing of the graves service at St Patrick's Cemetery​ in Dundalk, near the Irish border, when the car sped into the graveyard and headed towards them.

The driver was said to have been going erratically, and there were screams of horror as the car ploughed into the crowd.

Irish police said a pedestrian had been seriously injured while other people suffered minor injuries.

Ambulances and police rushed to the scene and broadcaster RTE said the injured man was taken to hospital.

One witness tweeted: “I can’t believe what I’ve just witnessed... a car erratically driving through the graveyard at high speed with total disregard for the hundreds of mourners and families.”

A man in his twenties was later arrested.

Fr Mark O'Hagan, the parish priest, said: "I could hear this screaming and shouting. And there was a lot of people running and a lot of people screaming."

The driver sped through the graveyard past the priest towards a car park before driving back towards him and mounting the kerb, Fr O'Hagan said.

"I tried to wave at him to try and slow him down or stop him.

"He sped on straight through the people again. It was terrifying," said Fr O'Hagan.

Simon Conroy, who was in the crowd, told The Irish Times the car drove into the cemetery, then accelerated towards the main stage where a priest was speaking, its engine revving loudly.

After hitting a number of people, it turned round and sped back out of the area, Mr Conroy said.

The collision appeared “intentional”, he said.

It was fortunate more people had not been seriously injured, he added.

“There were a lot of children crying, it was frightening. In the moments afterwards there was a lot of confusion.”

“The graveyard was full of people,” Mr Conroy told The Irish Times, estimating up to 1,000 people had gathered for the service.

Gardai (Irish police) said in a statement: “It is understood from initial investigations that a dark-coloured car drove at a number of persons in the cemetery who were attending the annual blessing of the graves event.

“One man (age unknown) was seriously injured and taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, a small number of people received superficial injuries.

“The offending car then drove out of the cemetery onto the public road and collided with a number of parked cars before coming to a stop.

“A man in his late twenties, believed to the driver, was arrested at the scene.

“He is currently detained at Dundalk garda station under the provisions of Section 4 – Criminal Justice Act 1984,” it added. The Act states a suspect may be held for up to six hours.

Officers have appealed for witnesses to come forward.