A man was accidentally run down by his brother when he jumped out in front of a car in a prank that went tragically wrong, an inquest heard yesterday.
Bryan McCabe (21), Aughavannagh Road, Crumlin, Dublin, had been drinking with friends beside the canal about 100m from the family home when he jumped in front of the car driven by his brother, Harry McCabe. He was thrown 15ft in the air.
Mr McCabe told Dublin Coroner’s Court it was an accident. “My head is gone since all this happened and my life is upside down. I go into counselling for it all to help me and I haven’t been right,” he said.
He had been arrested but the DPP did not press charges. Harry McCabe snr told coroner Dr Brian Farrell that Bryan was a “larger than life character” and he wouldn’t put it past him to have jumped in front of the car for a dare. A verdict of death by misadventure was returned.