A collision which killed three people, including the 17-year-old son of professional golfer Christy O'Connor junior, was recalled at an inquest in Galway yesterday.
Darren O'Connor, of Weir House, Kilcolgan, Galway, was driving his father's BMW car near his home on September 7th last year when it was involved in a head-on collision with a van on the main Galway-Limerick road.
The driver of the van, Mr Michael Hynes, from Miltown Malbay, Co Clare, and a front seat passenger in the BMW, David Quinn (17), from Gortnagreine, Salthill, Galway, were killed instantly in the collision, which occurred at 7.10 p.m. in poor driving conditions.
Darren O'Connor was unconscious as fire-fighters cut him from the wreckage. He was taken by ambulance to University College Hospital, Galway, but never regained consciousness and died three hours later. The accident occurred at Kileeneymore, 10 miles south of Galway city, on a straight stretch of road. Witnesses told the inquest they saw both vehicles jump three feet into the air on impact. Mr Michael Qualter, who was driving his car half-a-mile behind the BMW, said he had not noticed anything unusual about Darren O'Connor's driving until he reached Kilcolgan. Mr Qualter said he then noticed a red van, which appeared stationary, in the middle of the road ahead. It appeared to be slightly across the white line in the centre of the road and he noticed the BMW was also in the centre of the road.
"The occupants of the BMW didn't seem to be aware that they were so close to the van and I expected them to veer away, but they didn't," he said. On impact, the BMW and the van "jumped" into the air, Mr Qualter said. The BMW was not overtaking and there was no reason for it to move out to the centre of the road. He said it was travelling at 60 m.p.h. He added that he thought the red van was doing a U-turn on the road. Ms Sarah Smith, who had hitched a lift in Mr Qualter's car, told the inquest she first saw the BMW driving on the wrong side of the road for 10 seconds or so before impact. She thought it was being driven by a tourist who didn't know which side of the road to drive on.
She said the van appeared to be on the correct side of the road and the impact took place on its side of the white line. Later, in her evidence, she said she thought the red van was slightly over the white line.
Dr Charles Connolly, who carried out autopsies on the victims, said all had suffered multiple fractures and internal bleeding.