A MAN who stopped to help fix a broken-down truck on the side of a road died while working on the vehicle after he was struck by a van driven by a man with a provisional licence, an inquest has heard.
William Lanigan, lecturer in physics at the National University of Ireland Maynooth, died of shock and blood loss due to extensive injuries when he was struck by a Renault Megane van on the evening of September 16th, 2006, and dragged along the ground.
Mr Lanigan had stopped to assist truck driver Paul Fairbrass a short time earlier, as the lorry he was driving had broken down on the side of the road at Baltracey, Donadea, Co Kildare, at about 7pm, Dublin County Coroner's Court heard. Mr Fairbrass had left Mr Lanigan's home in Donadea earlier where he had been cutting and trimming trees. The truck, owned by Leon Ford, had given mechanical trouble that day and Mr Lanigan had been able to help.
Mr Lanigan was working on the truck and Mr Ford, who had been contacted, was directing traffic when a van coming from the Clane direction at "excessive speed" first swerved to avoid the truck and then swerved to avoid Mr Ford, hitting Mr Lanigan. The collision was witnessed by two trainee gardaí.
The van driver, Christopher Byrne of Courtown Park, Kilcock, Co Kildare, told the court at no stage did he see Mr Lanigan or Mr Ford in the high-visibility jacket.
Only the near-side rear hazard warning lights were showing on the truck and neither set of market lights on either side of the truck were working, public service vehicle inspector Sean Little, who carried out an inspection of both vehicles, told the inquest.
A jury of five women and three men returned a verdict of accidental death under the direction of coroner, Dr Kieran Geraghty.