Mother killed ‘instantly’ in Luas collision, inquest hears

A mother of one was killed instantly when she was struck during a freak Luas accident, an inquest heard.

Yao Webster (35) from Eden Grove, Donabate, Co Dublin died when she was struck by a car that had collided moments before with a Luas at the corner of Jervis Street Shopping Centre on the morning of April 7th this year.

At the opening of the inquest into her death at Dublin Coroner’s Court, her husband Robin Webster gave evidence that he last saw her at Connolly Station after they made their way into town to go to work.

“Yao and I travelled into town to work on the 7.57am train in to Connolly Station. We got off the train and Yao said goodbye at the barriers and headed off to work toward the Luas escalators. I went to my Dart platform,” he said.

He found out that his wife had been involved in an accident when he received a call later that day from Inspector Tim McCarthy to get in contact with gardaí immediately. He went to the Bridewell Garda station where gardaí delivered the “terrible news that Yao had been killed in a traffic accident,” he said.

Mrs Webster was an An Post clerk working from Usher’s Quay. Mr Webster said that she would sometimes to go to Henry Street before work to shop or browse.

Her body was identified using personal possessions and dental records. Mr Webster said that he recognised her watch, wedding ring and other jewellery as well as her mobile phone. The identification was subsequently confirmed by Dr Mary Clarke using dental records.

The post-mortem was carried out by Professor Eamon Leen who gave the cause of death as severe head injuries. Coroner Dr Brian Farrell said that the only consolation he could offer to the family is that Prof Leen's believes that death was "instantaneous".

Inspector Sharon Kennedy requested an adjournment of the inquest telling the coroner that a file is currently being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Dr Farrell adjourned the inquest for further mention on December 2nd.