The death of three young people in a car crash last year on the way home from the Oxegen music festival when the driver appeared to have fallen asleep at the wheel, has had devastating consequences on their families, an inquest has heard.
Laois County Coroner's Court heard yesterday that Thomas Frewen (22), Kilworth, Co Cork, his sister Mary (19), and their friend, driver Paul Geary (21), Mitchelstown, Co Cork, were killed almost instantly on July 10th, 2006, when their car veered on to the opposite lane of an oncoming articulated truck on the N8 at Clonad on the Portlaoise to Abbeyleix road.
The court heard Mr Geary had not slept the night before he attempted to drive home from the festival at Punchestown, Kildare. The only surviving occupant in Mr Geary's car told the inquest his friend had only a few hours sleep over the weekend and was drinking until 5am on the morning of the accident.
A toxicology screen found Mr Geary's blood alcohol level was just under the legal limit for driving. "He had one or two hours sleep on Sunday morning between 7am and 9am," Patrick Breathnach, from Lismore, Co Waterford, told the court. "Then on Sunday night myself and Paul did not sleep at all . . . Paul Geary was driving okay. I felt safe."
Eugene O'Connor, the Laois county coroner, described the triple fatality as a "terrible tragedy" and warned motorists about the dangers of driving when tired. "All too often, road traffic accidents occur because of excess of speed and crazy behaviour. That has not appeared evident at this hearing. These young people were perhaps tired on the day that tragedy befell. It's a lesson that tiredness is a risk to us all on the roads,"
Insp Aidan Boyle, Portlaoise Garda station, described the impact the fatalities have had on the two Cork families.
"I have some idea of the devastation the families have suffered. I hope today's proceedings can help the families."
The inquest heard that Mr Geary had bought the green Toyota Corolla a month before the crash and was a provisional licence holder. The court heard that back-seat passenger Mr Frewen had his full licence.
Mr Breathnach said the three passengers in the car fell asleep on the drive home. "I woke up when someone was shaking me. The front windscreen was smashed. A fireman had to cut me out of the car."
All four had been wearing their seatbelts. Mr Breathnach sustained multiple injuries in the collision and had five staples inserted in his head. He also had a section of his bowel removed and suffered internal bleeding.
Postmortem reports found that Mr Geary died from multiple injuries, and Mary and Thomas Frewen both died from lacerations to the brain.
A jury returned a verdict of accidental death in all three cases.
James Doyle was travelling behind the Toyota Corolla and witnessed the crash.
"I noticed the green car veering across the central line of the road. It was not overtaking and I did not see it indicating. I slowed down and saw the green car crash into the truck."
Edward Ward, the driver of the truck that was transporting cars, said he flashed and swerved to avoid the car but could not avoid the collision.
John Geary told the court his son had just finished a science and forestry degree at Waterford Institute of Technology.
Mr Frewen was a commerce student at UCC and his sister was a business studies student at Cork Institute of Technology.