Duo left hospitalised after “banned driver” smashes into float during St Patrick’s Day parade

TWO people were left hospitalised after an allegedly “banned driver” smashed their motor into a float during a St Patrick’s Day parade.

The incident unfolded yesterday morning on Main Street in the Irish town of Stradbally, County Laois during a parade in celebration of the country’s patron saint.

Things took a horrifying turn though when the parade – primarily made up of several different tractors and trailers – was torn apart by a reckless driver behind the wheel of a silver car.

The video, shot by a bystander on the pavement, shows locals dressed up in the stereotypical green Irish garb as they chug past on several different tractors.

Residents watch on as on the opposite side of the road, a young man sits behind the wheel of a float of a miniature train, with a trailer carrying a woman in green hitched to the back.

The woman waves gently to onlookers when, suddenly, the car enters the frame at speed, hurtling into the back of the trailer with the woman in it.

The collision violently rocks the vehicle and trailer, and the woman is sent lurching back whilst the young man behind the wheel falls forward onto the road.

The car doesn’t immediately stop though, and instead ploughs on, dragging the duo along as a chorus of shouts and gasps from the crowd and fellow parade-goers erupts.

The woman behind the camera runs across the road to the scene of the crash as the sound of further impact can be heard and a large puff of smoke rises from where the vehicles have come to a stop.

The woman behind the camera can be heard saying, “Oh Jesus Christ” as she approaches the scene to reveal the woman from the trailer seemingly trapped amid the debris of her vehicle and the car.

Bystanders can be seen trying to help her up as the dopey person behind the wheel of the car leans out of their window, nonchalantly looking on.

The footage was shared to social media yesterday with the caption: “This happened in Stradbally today, the driver was already banned from driving.”

The clip has since received over 1,900 likes and more than 190 comments from social media users left bewildered by what they were seeing.

One user commented: “Oh my God, wasn’t expecting that. Hope the people hit were okay. That was pure madness.”

Another added: “That was absolutely intentional – or else driver is blind.”

A third said: “Unforgivable but it is hugely risky taking a traction engine on the roads these days. Especially a model.”

And a fourth added: “He never touched his brakes, just kept driving. Awful, those poor people. Hope they are doing ok.”

Garda officers confirmed they are investigating.

A Garda spokesperson today said: “A woman in her 30s and a male youth were taken to Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise with non-life-threatening injuries.”