Coroner seeks taxi code to save drinkers' lives

A Cork city coroner has called on the Irish Taxi Association to put in place a code of conduct for dealing with very inebriated passengers who may be at risk.

Dr Myra Cullinane made the recommendation yesterday at the close of the inquest into the death of a 58-year-old woman who choked on her own vomit after she was left collapsed in her hallway by the taxi driver who had brought her home.

Philomena O'Keeffe, Leesdale, Model Farm Road, died at that address on February 2nd this year after an evening of drinking.

Hackney driver Ken Kelleher gave evidence of bringing Ms O'Keeffe home from the Vicarstown Bar on North Main Street at about 6.30pm.

She was very drunk and when they arrived at her house he had to help her in with her shopping bags. She managed to open the front door with her key and then fell flat on to the ground.

Mr Kelleher said he assumed the woman had passed out from drink. He ran to his car and called back to base, but was told that he had done his part. He then rang Anglesea Garda station at 6.50pm to alert them to the situation and informed a neighbour, who did not seem concerned.

Garda Peter Nolan told the inquest that he and his partner received a call to attend the scene at 7.50pm and they arrived there at about 8.05pm after finishing with another call. Ms O'Keeffe was lying inside her front door and there was no sign of life. An ambulance arrived at the scene at 8.18pm and Ms O'Keeffe was pronounced dead at 8.40pm.

When questioned by Dr Cullinane as to the reason for the delay in attending the scene, Garda Nolan said that it was not regarded as a medical emergency. "It would be relatively common for the gardaí to get similar calls where there is a large amount of alcohol involved. If it had come in as an emergency call we would have been at the scene immediately," he said.

Deputy State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster found the cause of death was aspiration (inhalation of vomit) due to acute alcohol intoxication in association with prescribed benzodiazepan medication.

The solicitor for Ms O'Keeffe's family, Eamon Murray, said it was very unfortunate the deceased had been left on the floor for so long and her family had been very distressed by the circumstances of her death.

Dr Cullinane recorded a verdict of death due to misadventure. She said she would draw the attention of the Irish Taxi Association and the taxi regulator to the proceedings of the inquest and recommend that they introduce a protocol for such situations.