Three men killed in a road crash outside Dungarvan were burnt beyond recognition after their car went on fire and they had to be identified by comparing their DNA with samples from family members, a coroner’s court has heard.
The 22-year-old driver of a Volkswagen Golf, which was on its wrong side of the road when it collided with a Citroen Picasso in which a family was travelling on a Christmas outing, was found to have a high level of alcohol in his system as well as drugs, leading the deputy state pathologist to conclude that his ability to drive would have been “seriously impaired”.
That driver was Eamon Dixon of Abbeyside, Dungarvan, Co Waterford who was killed instantly in the crash as were his passengers Kenneth O’Sullivan (39) of Blackpool, Cork, and Michael Tobin (38) from Abbeyside in Dungarvan and previously of Old Parish. Mr O’Sullivan was the owner of the car.
The fatal crash happened at Kildangan, Military Road, Dungarvan on the morning of December 4 of 2016.
Two adults and four children travelling in the other car involved suffered serious injuries in the crash but have since made full recoveries, the inquest in Dungarvan heard yesterday.
Garda Robert Falvey gave evidence of arriving at the scene of the crash and seeing the Volkswagen Golf upside down. The heat in that car was getting stronger and he got a fire extinguisher to put out the flames but it had little effect. There was a lot of damage to the front of the other car, the Citroen, and he heard a woman shouting “get my babies”.
There were three bodies found inside the Volkswagen once the fire was put out.
Inspector Larry Sheahan said he arrived on the scene shortly after 9.45am and put a major emergency plan into effect. When the fire in the Volkswagen was put out, he could see the vehicle was extensively burnt and he noted “the charred remains of three bodies” in that car. He was responsible for tagging and labelling the bodies. “All of the bodies were burnt beyond recognition.”
The following day, DNA swabs were taken from family members of the three men in the car, and this allowed for identification to be confirmed.
Deputy state pathologist Dr Michael Curtis said all three men suffered multiple traumatic injuries, incompatible with life, and consistent with “a high-speed vehicular impact”.
The driver, Eamon Dixon, had 221mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood as well as traces of cocaine and other drugs. “Such intoxication of alcohol and drugs would seriously impair the ability to drive,” Dr Curtis said.
The jury returned verdicts of accidental death in relation to all three victims, with death being the result of multiple traumatic injuries.
Tributes were paid at the inquest to the efforts of all the first responders, as well as members of the public, at the scene of the crash.
