Rassan joyriding sprees“a fatality waiting to happen”

November 3, 2014

Residents in the border area of Rassan claim the antics of boy racers who are converging on the area to carry out dangerous stunts and driving manoeuvres are a “fatality waiting to happen” and are appealing for Gardai to do more to help bring the activities to an end.

One resident whose gable end property was damaged during a spree of reckless driving last Sunday (26th October) claims he rang Gardai to attend the scene but was advised that the patrol car was in Carlingford and was unable to attend.

He maintains that the “joyriding scourge” is an ongoing pastime for the youths which occurs almost every Sunday and Thursday nights and involves the same two vehicles performing reckless manoeuvres and doughnuts with a total disregard for their own safety or that of others.

According to the angry resident, such is the fearless audacity of the perpetrators that traffic on the road is often forced to come to a standstill to allow the joyriders to carry out their perilous stunts.

“It’s just matter of time before someone gets killed or seriously injured here,” said the frustrated local.

“These are not just one-off events. This is a continuous scourge which happens every Thursday night from 10pm onwards. It’s causing untold misery for people living here and nothing is being done about it, despite the Garda being called on numerous occasions. These youths are getting away with this scot free, even to the extent that they are stopping traffic so they can continue their antics!

“Last week eight of the bollards embedded in the ground along the side of my house were broken by one of these dangerous drivers and one of these days a car is going to end up in my garden. It needs to be stopped before someone gets killed.”

The resident says the situation is becoming unbearable and believes Gardai could do much more to stop the ongoing joyriding, especially when it is so well known that the same two vehicles are carrying out the life threatening stunts on a weekly basis.

The Examiner contacted Gardai regarding the issue but had not received a response at the time of going to press.