A consultant pathologist said yesterday that a car crash near Ballinrobe, Co Mayo last November, in which three young workmates lost their lives, was the most tragic case he had dealt with during his 10 years working in the west of Ireland.
Dr Fadel Bennani, of Mayo General Hospital, was giving evidence at inquests in Castlebar into the deaths of Jonathan Donovan (21), Ballinamona, The Neale, Ballinrobe, and cousins Patrick Morley (24) and Aaron Morley (20), both of New Street, Ballinrobe.
All three died when their car crossed to the wrong side of the road at Ballinrobe racecourse on the evening of November 8th and collided with a vehicle and a wall.
Mr Donovan was the driver of the car which had been purchased in Dublin some months earlier through either Auto Trader or Buy & Sell magazine.
An inquest jury returned a verdict of misadventure in the case of Mr Donovan's death.
Verdicts of accidental death were returned in the death of Patrick Morley and Aaron Morley who were Mr Donovan's front seat and back seat passengers respectively. All three worked with the Western Pride Bakery in Ballinrobe.
The driver of the second vehicle was Mark Evans, an employee of John Mulroy Builders, Castlebar, who had two work colleagues, both Polish nationals, with him at the time of the crash.
Mr Evans told yesterday's inquest he was travelling to Castlebar in a company van when he noticed a silver car behind a white van coming towards him. "This car had its lights on and appeared to be travelling very fast. I say this because it appeared to be making up ground on the white van and appeared to be out of control.
"The silver car swerved into its left hand side before coming out in front of me.
"I don't think it was attempting to overtake because it already seemed to have lost control. The car then slid sideways down the road and into the front of my truck.
"The passenger side of the car collided with the front of the truck. It all happened so quickly. There was only a split second and all I could do was brake. I hadn't time to swerve because it all happened in a few seconds."
Garda experts gave evidence that there did not appear to be any skid marks coming from the car but it would be obvious from examining the scene that the car skidded sideways into the front of the pick-up and at considerable speed. It would also appear that the pick-up was on the correct side of the road and the car was on the wrong side of the road at the time of the crash.
Coroner for south Mayo John O'Dwyer said speed was certainly an element in the tragedy although there was no evidence of speed.
He hoped the three young deaths would have an impact on any young people thinking of driving recklessly. That was not to say that Mr Donovan was a boy racer and he hoped the deaths would not be in vain.
Supt Eugene Brennan said there had been no forensic evidence about speed but it had contributed in some way.