Four people were hospitalised this afternoon during a car chase through Dublin as gardaí attempted to apprehend two men escaping from the scene of an armed robbery at the Merrywell industrial estate.
Two men, one believed to be armed with a gun, the other with a machete stole a small sum of cash from Compaq Ltd at 12.45 p.m. today.
They then stole a Toyota Landcruiser from a neighbouring premises and headed off in the direction of Ballyfermot. At Grange Cross an unmarked garda car, in pursuit of the stolen vehicle, crashed and struck two female pedestrians.
The injured women were taken to St James's Hospital with what are believed to be minor injuries.
The stolen car then went up the Ballyfermot road before hitting another car, whose two occupants were also taken to hospital. The fleeing men eventually crashed their car into an ESB pole at Cloiginn Park, Ballyfermot.
They then escaped on foot and are still at large. A search is now underway.