An accident in Co Limerick last May in which four people died was described as "horrific carnage" at an inquest yesterday. Four cars and an articulated lorry were involved in the crash on the Adare to Killarney road at Rathkeale.
The victims were Ms Mary O'Doherty (32), of Dually, Newcastle West, Co Limerick, and her daughter, Emma (4); Mr Paul Clancy (63), a lorry driver, from Moy, Co Armagh, married with six children; and Mr Gerard O'Connor (38), single, of Moan lena, Newcastle West.
The jury returned a verdict in accordance with medical evidence given by a pathologist, Dr Geoffrey de Freitas, of Limerick Regional Hospital, that all four victims died from acute cardio-respiratory failure due to multiple injuries consistent with being involved in a road traffic accident.
Dr de Freitas said that there was no evidence of alcohol in any of the victims. He told the coroner that the reason why the alcohol tests had included the four-yearold was for the purpose of gathering official statistics on road traffic accidents.
Mr Thomas Fitzgerald, of Park Avenue, Adare, gave evidence that he was driving from Rathkeale to Adare at about 11.40 a.m. on May 7th when he saw a car coming from the Croagh direction. It was on its correct side of the road and was being driven by a woman. However, it was travelling along the grass margin and seemed to be out of control.
"As I saw it coming out on the road it swerved into the path of an oncoming truck, which was travelling behind me. I saw in my mirror at the point of impact the truck jack-knifed and turned over."
Garda Patrick McDonnell, of Adare, said that when he arrived at the scene at 12.05 p.m. he saw a trailer turned on its side with its cab extensively damaged. Firemen were trying to remove a body from the cab and there were two ambulances at the scene. He saw a nurse attending a young child in the midst of the wreckage.
Dr de Freitas told the coroner for Co Limerick, Mr Patrick Meghen, that all the victims suffered similar injuries, including crushing of the chest, rib fractures, some skull fractures and spinal injuries. "There was", he said, "a remarkable similarity in the injuries, which were all associated with the severity of the impact of the accident. Death was due in all cases to acute cardio-respiratory failure."
Mr Gary McMahon, solicitor for the O'Connor family, said: "The horrific carnage that took place has brought much sorrow to many people."
The coroner described the accident as "horrific" and extended sympathy to the families involved.
Garda Inspector Joseph Roe, of Newcastle West, said that the loss of life in the crash was "extremely tragic".