A four-year-old girl is undergoing surgery after being struck by an electric scrambler bike driven by a young man in west Dublin on Friday evening.
The girl is understood to have suffered a skull fracture and swelling on the brain in the collision.
The driver, aged 20, did not stop at the scene after hitting the girl and sped away.
Local gardaí were able to locate the driver soon after and arrested him.
The incident happened at the Curragh Hall estate in Tyrellstown, near Blanchardstown.
A Garda HQ statement said: “Gardaí are appealing for witnesses following a report of a serious injury road traffic collision that occurred at Curragh Hall, Tyrellstown, Dublin 15 yesterday evening, Friday.” The statement said: “A female child was struck by a Surron-type e-bike which failed to remain at the scene.”
It said the incident occurred at approximately 8.20pm, when it was still daylight.
“The child has been taken to Temple Street Hospital and is currently being treated for serious injuries,” it said.
“A man, aged in his 20s, has been arrested by Gardaí and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda Station in North Dublin.”
It said that no other injuries were reported.
Officers from Blanchardstown, headquarters of the Dublin Western Division, are investigating.
Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to this incident to come forward.
“In particular, investigating gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed a Surron-type e-bike travelling in the area at any point yesterday,” the statement said.
“Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling in Tyrellstown, particularly the Curragh Hall Crescent area between 7.30pm and 8.30pm are asked to make this footage available,” it said.
It called on anyone with information is asked to contact Blanchardstown Garda Station on (01) 666 7000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
The incident in Tyrellstown came on the same day that the Dublin Western Division carried out an operation in Ballyfermot and Clondalkin.
A total of seven e-bikes and six e-scooters were seized in the operation.
There has been a noticeable increase in garda operations in a number of divisions, particularly in Dublin, targeting e-bikes and e-scooters, including certain operators trading in them.
Between August 11 Nand 13, gardaí in Ballymun, north Dublin, recovered five motorbikes and scramblers believed to have been stolen or used in criminal activity.
Last June, gardaí in the Dublin South Division seized a total of 65 bikes – including 39 e-scooters and 14 e-bikes – suspected of being used in criminal activity, including drug dealing, money laundering, transporting firearms, drug-related intimidation and other serious offences.
The same division also conducted an operation in April, in which 39 electric bikes were seized as part of an operation targeting an Eastern European national trading in the bikes, who is also suspected of money laundering.
In the same month, gardaí from the Dublin Western Division seized 41 vehicles as part of an ongoing operation to target the unlawful use of e-bikes, scramblers and e-scooters.