‘Watching my child lady die was heartbreaking, she was solely crossing the highway’
Grace Lynch, 16, died following a collision with a scrambler bike while crossing Ratoath Road in Finglas, Dublin on Sunday afternoon – man has been arrested as her devastated mother calls for justice
Grace Lynch, 16, has died after being struck down by a scrambler while crossing the road(Image: )
The mother of a teenage girl tragically killed by a scrambler bike has shared a poignant photo of her daughter as she demands justice. Grace Lynch, 16, was fatally hit by a scrambler while crossing Ratoath Road in Finglas on Sunday afternoon.
The horrific collision resulted in catastrophic injuries for Grace, who was later pronounced dead at Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown. Yesterday, a man suspected of driving the scrambler was apprehended by the gardai.
Today, Grace’s grief-stricken mother Siobhan shared a picture of her daughter, expressing her profound sorrow and paying tribute to her beloved child.
“We are devastated. I want justice,” she told the Irish Mirror. “She was 16. She was a beautiful girl – funny, a great daughter, a sister, a granddaughter, a niece a cousin, a friend. My baby girl.
“Myself and her father Martin, sisters Shauna and Brooke and baby brother Jude will never forget that beautiful smile and the way she had of just being Grace,” she added,
“Watching my baby take her last breath was the most heartbreaking thing any parent should watch. We want justice for our Grace.
“She didn’t need to die. She was crossing the road. I’m not going to let my baby die in vain. I need some sort of help to get these bikes off the road.”
The devastating incident unfolded on the Ratoath Road between Scribblestown and Dunsink at approximately 2:20pm on Sunday afternoon. The horrific crash resulted in the driver and passenger being thrown from their vehicle – with all three individuals sustaining injuries during the collision.
Gardaí and emergency crews raced to the location where paramedics immediately began treating the young girl, who was in a critical condition at the roadside.
She was rushed to Connolly hospital, where she was tragically pronounced dead on Sunday evening.
An adult male and teenage boy who had been riding the scrambler were meanwhile transported to hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening. He was subsequently arrested in connection with the crash.
In a statement released on Sunday evening, gardaí confirmed: “Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene of a serious road traffic collision on the Ratoath Road, Finglas, Dublin 11, this afternoon, Sunday 25th January 2026. The collision involving a scrambler motorcycle and a pedestrian occurred at approximately 2.20pm.
“The pedestrian, a juvenile female in her teens, was brought to Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown for treatment of injuries believed to be serious. An adult male, aged in his late teens, and a male juvenile, aged in his teens, on the scrambler are being treated for injuries believed to be non life-threatening.”
The incident has left the Finglas community reeling – with local councillor Conor Reddy expressing the area’s grief and voicing his worries about scrambler usage in the neighbourhood.
“This is devastating news. My thoughts are with the family and friends of this poor girl. Scramblers have been a serious community safety issue in Finglas (and other working class communities) for years but little if anything has been done to address it by those who have been in power.
“This lack of action over years, despite other serious accidents, adds shame to this tragedy. Our community must get behind those affected by this accident and demand action from government and the council. There is no single solution to the problem but many things that need to happen, and soon,” he declared.
Gardaí are now making an urgent appeal to anyone who witnessed this crash to come forward.
Any motorists or pedestrians who possess camera footage (including dash-cam) and were present in the vicinity between 2.10pm and 2.40pm are urged to provide this material to investigating officers.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Finglas Garda Station on (01) 6667500, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
