On the night of Saturday, 12th December, 2009 Garda McLoughlin was on duty as the driver of the patrol car, accompanied by Garda Bernard McLoughlin. In the early hours of Sunday morning, 13th December, 2009, they responded to a call that a motor vehicle was acting suspiciously. During the course of their patrol the suspect vehicle crashed into the Patrol Car seriously injuring Garda Gary McLoughlin. He was removed to Letterkenny General Hospital where he died on Monday, 14th December, 2009.