Covid-19 may have played a part in a road traffic collision which claimed the lives of a couple, a coroner has suggested, after postmortems ruled out other possible reasons why the man lost control of his car before it crashed into a lorry.
South Cork coroner Frank O’Connell noted that Pat (83) and Berna Allen (82) from Carrigaline tested positive for Covid-19 when they were brought to the morgue at Cork University Hospital following their deaths in the collision on the N28 at Raffeen, Monkstown on August 30th, 2022.
Mr O’Connell said it was quite clear from dash cam footage from a taxi travelling behind the Allens that their Mazda car drifted on to the wrong side of the road before colliding with a Mercedes car transporter travelling in the opposite direction at around 11am.
“The only rational explanation is that Pat Allen had a turn, and it is very likely that this was associated with his Covid infection,” he said.
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Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster had earlier told the court she found no evidence that Pat Allen had suffered a stroke or some cardiac event that might have caused him to lose control of the car.
Dr Bolster said that while the full impact of Covid-19 infection was yet to be fully understood, it was established that the disease can cause long term tiredness and fatigue. She said she believed Covid-19 could have been a factor in Pat Allen losing control of his car.
Mr O’Connell said: “The only thing we have to go on (to explain the loss of control) is Covid-19. It’s not to be underrated. It’s the standout factor because Pat Allen was in good health for an 83-year-old man. It’s a matter of probability that his loss of control was an impact of having Covid.”
The collision, which ended up involving four vehicles, was investigated by Garda Donal Olden, who told the coroner he took witness statements from several people at the scene and secured dash camera footage from taxi driver Michael Chuchs.
Michael O’Connell, who was immediately behind Mr Chuchs, gave similar evidence. “I saw the car in front of the taxi veer over to the right. The car hit the truck and was blown back on to its own side of the road. The Mazda was sent spinning into the ditch.”
Truck driver Ernestas Bisirskas said he had just collected some cars in Ringaskiddy when he saw a car heading towards him.
“Suddenly and without warning, I saw this car coming into my lane. I hit the brakes and there was a big bang and I remember nothing until I was on the verge.”
Vehicle inspector Garda Padraig Coholan examined the Mazda and the truck and found both were well maintained and roadworthy before the collision with no defects that would have caused the collision.
Garda Raymond Sweeney, a forensic crash investigator, said there was good visibility and driving conditions and he had established Pat Allen was driving well under the 100km/h speed limit and Mr Bisirskas was within the 80km/h limit for heavy goods vehicles.
He said the Mazda suffered catastrophic damage to its front with the driver’s side bearing the brunt of the damage, with the engine and bulwark pushed back into the cabin. He found bitumen residue on the truck’s tyres consistent with emergency braking.
Dr Bolster said Pat Allen died from blunt force trauma to the head, thorax and abdomen with death being immediate. She said Berna Allen died from blunt force trauma to the thorax and abdomen.
Mr O’Connell noted that Pat Allen’s car began to drift very gradually initially but then veered sharply into the path of the truck as he returned verdicts of accidental death in both cases. He extended his sympathies to the couple’s adult children on the deaths of their parents.
Colm O’Rourke, solicitor for the family, thanked Mr O’Connell and gardaí for their professionalism. He also thanked the emergency personnel and civilians who assisted on the day, particularly Joanne O’Sullivan, a motorist who showed great kindness to Berna Allen at the scene.
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