GARDAÍ IN ENNIS are searching for the driver of a car who fled the scene of collision which has left one man in hospital.

A woman and two children, who were travelling in another car, were assessed at the scene by paramedics but were uninjured. It’s understood they were caught up in the hit-and-run drama when the speeding offending vehicle narrowly missed them.

The incident happened at around 3.30pm at the junction of the Golf Links Road and the R474 road on the outskirts of Ennis.

A silver Ford Mondeo car is understood to have narrowly missed colliding with one car before smashing into the rear of a Ford Transit van. The driver of the offending vehicle, a silver Ford Mondeo, fled the scene immediately after the crash.

Gardaí, ambulance paramedics and fire crews from Ennis raced to the scene.

The driver of the van was taken to hospital suffering from injuries which are not believed to be serious.

A woman and two children were assessed at the scene by National Ambulance Service paramedics and while said be shaken by the incident, were unhurt and did not required further treatment.

The scene was technically examined by members of the Clare divisional Crime Scene Investigation team before the Mondeo was seized and removed for a more detailed analysis.

A Garda spokesman confirmed the incident occurred at around 3.30pm and that the driver of the Mondeo ‘left the scene’. Gardaí are searching for the driver, the spokesman added.

Gardaí have asked anyone who witnessed the collision or saw the silver Mondeo in the area around the time of the crash or earlier, to contact them in Ennis on 065 6848100.