Suspect crashes two getaway cars while fleeing armed robbery and hijacking in Laois

The suspect of an armed robbery in Laois is recovering in hospital following a crash in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The man was arrested by Gardaí shortly after an armed robbery in the Abbeyleix area, having crashed his escape vehicle when fleeing the scene.

The suspect entered the filling station in Mountrath, Abbeyleix at around 12.35am and threatened members of staff with a firearm before taking a quantity of cash and fleeing the the scene. The suspect crashed his car outside a house in the Derrykearn area, and when the residents of the house checked the car to see how the driver was a shot was fired from his gun.

The man then hijacked a car from the house and fled that area, but crashed once again when he collided with a tree around 1.5km from the house. The man was then arrested and removed to Tullamore Hospital where he is in a serious condition.

Garda investigations are ongoing.