THE gang whose high speed chase resulted in the death of an innocent woman following a drunken nationwide crime spree had several near misses with motorists before the fatal collision.

Two separate investigations are ongoing this weekend following the death of child minder Diana Harton on the M7 motorway on Thursday.

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Of the five males in the 1996 registered uninsured Volkswagen Polo, the youngest was just 12-years-old. He was accompanied by three teenagers - two 17-year-olds and an 18-year-old - and a 23-year-old man who was driving. All are members of the travelling community from the north Dublin/Meath region with three of the group on bail following a spate of robberies and burglaries.

The gang bought the Volkswagen for €100 in Trim, Co Meath on Wednesday before embarking on a crime spree which took them across six counties in 24 hours.

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On Thursday lunchtime after committing a robbery in Trim, they went south to Newport, north Tipperary. Here further robberies including the theft of €65 worth of fuel and €40 worth of goods from separate service stations occurred as well as €1,500 worth of power tools from a workman's vehicle.

Fleeing a service station, they sped onto the Limerick road. A motorist had to take evasive action. A back seat passenger in the Volkswagen gave a one fingered signal to the shocked motorist.

As gardai were alerted the Volkswagen powered onto the M7 motorway travelling through Offaly and Laois. Three patrol cars attempted to intercept near the toll plaza south of Portlaoise.

The Volkswagen sped through the toll barrier and sped towards Kildare as gardai gave chase. Other motorists narrowly avoided crashes. Gardai from Kildare joined the pursuit that continued to the J13 turn off where the horrific carnage that claimed an innocent woman's life unfolded at 8.45pm.

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Ms Harton, originally from Tallaght, but living in Kildare had been shopping moments before she drove onto the northbound carriageway from the Kildare town slip road. As gardai attempted to 'box off' the speeding Volkswagen, the 23-year-old uninsured driver attempted to evade gardai but smashed into the back of Ms Harton's Citroen Xsara. Her car careered into a patrol car and the single woman died at the scene. Paramedics raced to the motorway while gardai attempted to stop oncoming traffic from driving into the scene. Fire crews worked to cut the trapped gang from the wreckage. All were hospitalised along with two gardai who have since been released.

Several beer bottles, along with stolen power tools, were recovered in the wreckage of the Volkswagen. More empty bottles had been discarded at one of the service stations.

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The Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission is investigating while gardai are investigating the robberies.

Senior gardai admit they do not have the resources to deal with criminal gangs who are using the country's motorway network to commit robberies and burglaries nationwide.

"These gangs travel across the country over one night driving at ridiculous speeds now this woman's family have to deal with the fall out."

Sunday Independent