A 10-year-old Wexford boy who was being driven to hospital by his mother following a horseriding accident was fatally injured when their car was in collision with the tractor unit of a truck, Dublin City Coroner's Court heard yesterday.
Jeffrey Hatton, Ballyhyland, Enniscorthy, died at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, on March 8th, 1996, the day after the collision. His mother, Mrs Doreen Hatton, died instantly. The collision occurred at Rathgarrogue on the Enniscorthy-New Ross road. A post-mortem showed the boy died of severe head injuries.
Mr Alan Conroy said he was driving on a straight stretch of road when he saw a truck veer violently on to the incorrect side of the road into the path of a car.
The truck seemed to be out of control and spun into the ditch after the impact. At the scene of the impact, he said, there was a woman and boy in the car and a man and a child in the lorry.
Sgt Brendan Kelly, New Ross, said a PSV inspection found no defects in either vehicle, but a PSV inspector, Mr Aidan Loughnane, commented that the tractor unit had no speed limitation device.
The truck-driver, Mr Ray Furlong, said he found it very hard to attend the inquest but had been told by gardai it would be helpful for the family. "I can't say anything about it. I had the accident and that is all," he said.
The jury's verdict was accidental death.