Toddler escapes injury after rocks thrown at cars from Limerick bridge

GARDAI have launched an investigation after rocks were thrown at a car in which a baby girl was a passenger.

The incident happened at the weekend, and gardai have launched an appeal for witnesses.

Ballyneety man Nikola Radojcic was travelling towards the city to collect his partner who had finished her shift in Roxboro  on the city's southside, when his car was struck by missiles thrown from the top of the railway bridge at Childers Road.

In the back seat of the motor was his only daughter, aged only 11 months old.

The crossing has become notorious for people gathering and throwing stones at cars on the road below.

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The latest incident, which took place on Saturday around 10pm, has prompted the councillor for the area Catherine Slattery to call on gardai to "up their game".

It comes after staff at Irish Rail, which owns the bridge, moved to erect higher barriers in a bid to stop the stone-throwing.

"Irish Rail has done its bit, it's now a garda matter," said the Fianna Fail representative.

Mr Radojcic saw his windscreen chipped, and passenger windows smashed - including the one next to where his daughter was sitting.

Both parties escaped unharmed.

Following the incident, he contacted Roxboro garda station to make a report.

A spokesperson for the gardai confirmed they are investigating the incident.

No arrests have yet been made.

Mr Radojcic said he went public in the hope this forces the authorities to do something about the rock throwing.

In future, he said he will avoid the area.

"This could have ended very badly," said the father-of-one, who said he was left in "shock" and "anger" at the attack,

While this incident took place on Saturday night, Cllr Slattery has said she has received reports of four more broken windscreens the following evening in the same area.

"It's an absolute disgrace. There should be more garda patrols in the area. It's an ongoing problem. Irish Rail has heightened the fence. They cannot put it any higher. I don't think CCTV will work as the perpetrators will have hoods on and their faces covered. The only option left is for gardai to patrol the area, not just Childers Road, but Colbert Station, Wickham Street and the whole of the city. There are scramblers, scooters and fights taking place. What impression does this give to Limerick, especially coming into the tourist season," she asked.

On two consecutive nights last September, the gardai dealt with 16 incidents of rock throwing at passing vehicles from the same bridge.

Witnesses to Saturday night's incident are asked to contact 061-214340.