Gardaí interview driver who killed jogger in hit-and-run

Gardaí have interviewed the driver of a van which struck and killed a jogger in Dublin on Wednesday night.

Superintendent Gerard Donnelly told reporters on Friday the driver of a white Renault Megane van had come forward voluntarily and was cooperating with the investigation into the death of Karl Robertson (28) on Hazelwood Drive in Coolock at 9.45pm on Wednesday.

Mr Robertson was taken to hospital after the collision but died in Beaumont Hospital on Thursday night.

Supt Donnelly said there was no need to arrest the driver as he had come forward voluntarily and was assisting with the criminal investigation.

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The driver left the scene of the crash on Wednesday and a van was found burned out a short time later at Beechlawn Grove, Coolock, close to Parnells GAA Club.Gardaí are carrying out a technical examination of the van.

Supt Donnelly said on Friday there was nothing “sinister” about the collision and that they were treating it as “a hit-and-run traffic accident”.

He added that there was no indication yet whether the driver had been speeding at the time of the collision and said he was “satisfied” the van involved was not stolen.

Gardaí at Coolock are now seeking further assistance in figuring out what happened at the point of the collision. They have made a special appeal for a man in his 20s, possibly not from Ireland and who interacted with people who assisted Carl following the incident, to get in touch.

“That person indicated that he had witnessed the collision,” said Supt Donnelly.

They are also calling on a couple, a man and a woman, who were out walking in Hazelwood drive at the time of the collision to contact gardaí.

Supt Donnelly also appealed for a taxi driver who picked up a man in his early 30s on Oscar Traynor Road shortly after 10pm on Wednesday night and dropped him off in the Kilbarron Avenue area of Coolock to contact gardaí in Coolock.

On Thursday Mr Robertson’s sister, Niamh Robertson, also called for anyone with information about the incident to contact gardaí.

“Anyone who has done this, anyone who may have seen something, heard something, seen a car speeding around the area last night, anyone with any information, please, please, please contact the gardaí, even if it’s anonymously,” she told RTÉ’s Six One programme.

‘A horrible, horrible thing’

“I would expect the person who’s done this to own up because it is a horrible, horrible thing to do to put anyone through that.”

Karl Robertson was from the Coolock area and was reportedly working in a local Dunnes Stores. Ms Robertson said the family got a call from the emergency services at around 11pm on Wednesday.

“My dad answered, and they started asking him questions, and all I heard was ‘yeah he was wearing blue shorts, he would have been out jogging’.”

She added: “I ran down the stairs and then they said we needed to go to Beaumont Hospital...I was trying not to think of it as too serious. I was trying keep the family positive, because my Mam broke down straight away, she nearly fell to the ground, it was horrible.”