Gardaí in Dublin were last night still seeking three young men who left hospital yesterday after crashing a stolen car in Swords on Tuesday night.
Two of the three, aged 16 and 27, left Beaumont Hospital shortly after 7 a.m. yesterday, signing themselves out against medical advice.
A third, aged 15, was transferred into the care of a social worker but left the hospital with his companions.
They are reported to have hailed a taxi and left.
Gardaí in Swords would not comment on the flight of the three, although a spokeswoman confirmed there was no Garda presence at the hospital.
However, she added: "We know who they are and we are following a definite line of inquiry."
The three were part of a gang of seven young people, including two women, from the north Co Dublin area, seen in Drogheda on Tuesday afternoon.
Two of the five young men, aged 18 and 14, were later involved in a burglary at a house in the Dublin Road area of Drogheda.
They were disturbed by occupants of the house and made off on foot into the nearby Wheaten Hall estate where they were apprehended by gardaí and arrested.
The 18-year-old appeared at Drogheda District Court yesterday charged with burglary and was remanded to appear tomorrow.
The 14-year-old was released into the care of a social worker who travelled from Dublin.
Meanwhile the other three, aged 15, 16 and 27, stole a blue Nissan Micra near the house where their companions were carrying out the burglary.
The key had been left in the car by the owner, a security guard, and they began travelling to Dublin, pursued by two Garda cars from Drogheda.
According to gardaí, they lost sight of the Nissan before it crashed into the Seatown roundabout on the M1 near Swords at about 11 p.m. on Tuesday.
The driver of the stolen car, the 16-year-old, ran off before being caught and arrested and brought to Swords Garda station.
Ambulance and fire services were called to the scene, and the other two were cut from the wreckage of the car.
They were brought to Beaumont Hospital by ambulance while the 16-year-old was brought from Swords Garda station to Beaumont after complaining of pain.
All three stayed in the hospital overnight.
The 16-year-old is reported to be a serial offender who was remanded in custody at the Children's Court in July by Judge Michael Connellan for "abusive language and unruly behaviour" in court, which was a contempt of the court.
He was appearing on larceny charges.
A social worker also told the court that it would be unwise to grant bail because the boy had an alcohol problem and a propensity for anti-social behaviour and to commit further crimes.
He was sent to St Patrick's Institution for contempt.
Two weeks later the court was told that the boy was sorry for his outbursts.
He applied for bail to attend a residential centre in Cavan for educational help and training.
Bail was granted under strict conditions whereby he would spend five days each week in the Cavan centre and would return to Trinity House for weekends.
The presiding judge said that this measure was a "last resort" for the boy who would not be allowed to leave either institution unless in the company of staff.
But in August the boy was given a two-month sentence on a separate theft charge and had since been released.
