An Irish citizen was pulled off a flight at John F. Kennedy Airport, New York as he was attempting to flee the country. The 28-year-old was wanted in connection to a hit-and-run accident in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia suburb.



Damian Crossan was attempting to return to Ireland when he was apprehended by the police and escorted off the plane at JFK airport.



The police in Upper Darby confirmed that he was removed from an aircraft on Wednesday night.



Michael Chitwood, the Police Superintendent told the Associated Press that Crossan confessed to being involved in a traffic accident. He hit a 32-year-old woman.



“She was walking in the street due to the snow and was pulling a red shopping cart,” he told the Delaware County Daily Times.



Chitwood explained that investigators who had been working on the case were given a tip off that Crossan was responsible.



“Apparently, Crossan was looking in the newspaper every day to see what was being said,” Chitwood said. “Tuesday night he saw it online and immediately got a ticket for Ireland. The quickest one he could get was out of JFK.



“He drove to New York and parked his pickup truck in the long-term parking lot of JFK.”



Crossan admitted to his involvement in the accident after he had been taken into custody. He told the authorities that he had struck a woman with his car.



“Luckily, we got him before the plane took off,” Chitwood said. “It was scheduled to depart when they got him.”



The authorities also found Crossan's pick-up truck in the long-term car park at JFK. It has considerable damage to its body, which is consistent with the crash.



The woman remains in hospital in a critical condition. She sustained injuries to her head, brain and hips.