A 36-year-old father of four would most likely have survived a high-impact collision if he had been wearing a seat-belt when his car crashed while trying to elude gardaí who had followed him for more than 15kms after he failed to stop, an inquest was told yesterday.
William O'Driscoll, Kenley Circle, Model Farm Road, Cork, died from head, chest, abdominal and limb trauma injuries due to a road traffic collision on the South Link Road in Cork at about 5.40pm on February 10th last, the inquest heard.
Mr O'Driscoll was thrown through the driver's window of his Opel Omega after it crashed into the central barrier of the dual carriageway and travelled across three lanes and the hard shoulder before mounting an embankment, the inquest was told.
PSV inspector Sgt Pat Donovan said he examined the cockpit area of the Opel and found it had sustained little damage. He believed it was likely Mr O'Driscoll would have survived if he had been wearing a seat-belt, which would have prevented him being ejected.
Garda Brian Larkin said he went to investigate a report of dangerous driving in Glanmire and saw a grey Opel Omega parked dangerously on a bend near a Traveller encampment at Killalough, but that when he went to turn and park safely, the car took off.
He pursued the car back on to the main N8 dual carriageway with his lights flashing and he later put on his siren, but the car failed to stop.
Although he got within 40 yards or so of the car on inclines, it pulled away from him.
Garda Larkin told how the car went up on the grass margin to avoid cars waiting to go on to the Dunkettle interchange and slowed down going through the Jack Lynch tunnel, only to pick up speed when it exited on to the South Link Road.
He had already radioed for assistance and pulled back from the car, as he believed it was too dangerous to pursue it at speed, when Mr O'Driscoll stopped in the slow lane. He pulled up behind him only to be prevented from getting out by passing traffic, he added.
But Mr O'Driscoll took off at speed and repeated the manoeuvre, approaching the Mahon interchange just as two other Garda cars were coming down the slipway, with the first car having to take evasive action to avoid a collision with Mr O'Driscoll.
The inquest heard further evidence from Garda Larkin and fellow patrol car drivers Garda Seán O'Regan and Garda Simon Whelan that they had pulled back from pursuing Mr O'Driscoll because of the risks to other road users when the crash happened.
Witness student garda Claire Sutton told how she was driving home when she felt a car hit her in the rear. She saw a grey Opel Omega pass her out and hit the the central barrier before travelling back across the road and mounting the embankment.