Carroll death is fourth fatality involving garda patrol cars in 2014

The death of Eamonn Carroll in Co Louth yesterday is the fourth fatality in 2014 involving a Garda patrol car, double the amount of fatal road traffic incidents referred to the Garda Ombudsman in 2013.

In May, a woman died in Fairview when the car in which she was a passenger hit a lamp post while it was being pursued by a garda car and a 75-year-old woman died in August when she was hit by a garda car in Clondalkin.

A taxi driver died in Galway in February when he jumped into the river Corrib and drowned after he was stopped at a routine garda checkpoint.

Sixteen road traffic incidents have been referred to the Garda Síochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) to date in 2014, which was the total amount of incidents referred to GSOC in 2013.

However, only two cases involved fatalities last year.

While the number of fatal traffic incidents involving garda cars has increased, the number of road traffic incidents referred to GSOC has decreased in the last three years.

In 2012, GSOC investigated 24 road traffic incidents, one of which was fatal.

The Garda Síochana Ombudsman Commission is an independent statutory body set up to deal with cases involving gardaí.

It also deals with complaints from the public.