At an inquest on Tuesday of this week held into the tragic death of a mother-of-two who lost her life in a fatal collision on the N52 at Rathconnell, on the outskirts of Mullingar in the late summer of 2012, the coroner and jury were told the second driver had subsequently been convicted of dangerous driving.
The inquest also heard how a car passenger, daughter of the deceased woman, and another motorist had witnessed the collision.
A verdict of accidental death was returned by the Coroner for Westmeath, Dr. Wilfred Hoover, after he recorded the evidence relating to the collision which claimed the life of 51-year-old Dolores McCormack, of Balrath, Delvin on 25 August, 2012.
The driver of the second vehicle, Stephen Gilmartin (43), was subsequently convicted of dangerous driving and received a ten year disqualification from driving.
The inquest heard testimony that the deceased had returned from a family holiday in Wexford and a short time before the accident, she had dropped her partner, Pat Flynn, off to collect his van.
The deposition of Katie Flynn, the daughter of the stricken woman, was read into evidence by Gda Inspector Jarlath Folan.
WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD
Katie was travelling in the passenger seat of the car her mother was driving, while a younger child was fastened in the back seat. On the return journey to Delvin from Mullingar, the girl observed a silver car approaching from Delvin, diagonally on the wrong side of the road. She said her mother swerved, and she (Katie) was aware that the airbags activated. When the vehicle came to a stop, she was able to get out of the car and was approached by another motorist and the emergency services were contacted.
She saw the driver of the other car get out of his vehicle and lying on the road. He was making moaning sounds.
Another motorist, Jonathan O’Connor, stated that he had observed the collision in his rear view mirror. He was travelling on the N52, entering the Delvin Road when he looked in his mirror and saw a car about 200 yards back on the wrong side of the road. He saw it collide with a second vehicle and he slowed a returned to the scene where he observed a male lying on the road while the driver of one of the cars appeared unconscious.
DIED AT SCENE
The court heard accounts from responding Gardai, stating that the front driver side of the car driven by Ms. McCormack was badly damaged. She was observed to be slumped in the front of the car and a child was in the rear of the vehicle, wearing her seat belt while a female, the deceased’s eldest daughter, was standing on the hard shoulder.
The inquest was told that the victim had been pronounced dead at the scene and that given the severity of the injury sustained, death would have been virtually instantaneous.
A mandatory breath sample was taken by Gardai from the driver of the second vehicle, Stephen Gilmartin, and a pass was indicated.
CONVICTION
Mr. Gilmartin sustained injury in the collision and when well enough, he was interviewed by Gardai. A file was prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions and Mr. Gilmartin was subsequently convicted of dangerous driving causing the death of another and serious bodily harm to another person. He received a ten year disqualification and was ordered to serve 240 hours of community service.
Mr. Gilmartin was not in court for the inquest but his deposition was read into evidence by Inspector Folan.
It stated that Gilmartin was a Process Engineer, who arrived in Ireland from Phoenix, Arizona, on a flight into Belfast International Airport the day before the collision.
He rented a car at the airport and travelled to Collinstown for the occasion of the christening of his niece. He had made arrangements to stay in a hotel in Mullingar and after he left the function, he contacted the hotel seeking directions as he was not familiar with the route.
His testimony was that he had no further recollection of the accident but snatches of events post collision.
He stated that he remembered being on his back on the road, in great pain. He remembered being taken to hospital and was aware he was airlifted as he knew he saw flight uniforms on personnel attending to him. He said he could not recall what time had elapsed between the memories.
A PSV examination was carried out on both vehicles by Garda Liam Walsh, who found that both were in a serviceable condition pre collision and his conclusion was that there was no issue with either vehicle.
The Pathologist, Dr. Miriam Walsh, gave evidence that death had been due to a transection of the spinal chord, secondary to a traumatic fracture to the neck, secondary to a road traffic collision. The jury found in accordance with this medical evidence and the Coroner recorded the verdict, and sympathised with the family of the deceased.
