'Playing Russian roulette': Gardaí repeat 'ghosting' warning after Munster teen injury
Gardaí have said the incident could have been much worse for the injured teenager. Picture: Larry Cummins
Gardaí have repeated their warnings for young people not to participate in a dangerous Tik Tok challenge called 'ghosting'.
The trend sees people lying on a road with a sheet placed over them in an attempt to stop oncoming traffic.
A teenage girl in the Munster region of the country was injured while taking part in the challenge last Saturday. The teenager received injuries to her back, torso, and ankle and was admitted to hospital for a number of days.
Inspector Alan Cullen of Henry Street Garda Station in Co Limerick said the girl is lucky to be alive and had "a very lucky escape".
Speaking to Patricia Messinger on C103's Cork Today Show, Inspector Cullen said it is "nothing short of miraculous that she wasn't killed."
"The young lady in question had a very lucky escape on Saturday evening last in the sense that she didn't time her exit very well and wound up being struck by the car.
"She had to be taken to hospital with injuries to her torso, hip and ankle. So it's nothing short of miraculous that she wasn't killed but I'm happy to say that her injuries would be classified on the lower end of the scale. They're minor injuries and she will make a full recovery," said Inspector Cullen.
Gardaí have identified this trend beginning in the US this summer and appearing later in the UK in November before Irish users of the Tik Tok app began to make their own attempts.
"I know first-hand myself when a person is struck by a motor vehicle, the injuries are generally horrific and catastrophic. To say that this is dangerous would be putting it mildly. It's highly dangerous for the person on the road obviously, but it could also cause a driver to take avoidance action and maybe collide with another car.
"It's like playing Russian roulette, the consequences are unimaginable," said Inspector Cullen.
The teenage girl injured in the incident reported by Inspector Hunt spent a number of days in the hospital to receive treatment.
Gardaí have appealed to parents to educate their children on the dangers of participating in such activity and to highlight the importance of being seen while using Irish roads.
