The driver of a car which crashed into a lorry, killing six people, had drink and cannabis in his blood, an inquest heard yesterday.
Mr Anthony O'Brien (27), of Rathmullen Park, Drogheda was driving a blue Vauxhall Astra estimated to be doing 100 m.p.h. on the wrong side of the road when it collided head-on with the lorry.
He was identified by a skull tattoo on his arm.
Drogheda Coroner's Court heard that two others of the five people in the car were identified by tattoos and only one of them could be identified facially. Two were 16-year-old girls.
All died instantly and suffered multiple injuries. Coroner Mr Ronan Maguire described it as one of the blackest days in the history of the community in Drogheda.
The inquest heard that half an hour before the crash Drogheda gardai received a report of the car being driven dangerously at George's Street. The information was circulated to the patrol car and two traffic corps vehicles.
Mr Edward Kieran was travelling behind the lorry on the night of July 21st last, heading north towards Dundalk.
He said the car shot around the corner and straight into the lorry. It was on the incorrect side of the road and he believed it was travelling at least 100m.p.h.
The post-mortem examinations were carried out in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda by pathologist Dr Anthony Dorman. He said Mr O'Brien had suffered several acute traumatic head injuries, numerous fractures and laceration of internal organs.
A blood sample taken at the time of the post-mortem examination had a blood-alcohol reading of 202 milligrammes per 100 millilitres. It was also positive for cannabinoids.
Mr Daniel Johnson (26) of Rathmullen Park was a back-seat passenger in the car and was identified by an eagle tattoo on his left arm. Mr Dorman said he also died from multiple injuries. He had a blood alcohol reading of 172 milligrammes and was positive for cannabinoids.
Front-seat passenger Mr Albert Wilson (28), of Ballsgrove, was identified by marks on his hand by his father Thomas.
Mr Wilson had a blood alcohol reading of 136 milligrammes. While one test was positive for the presence of cannabis, a second test had not supported this finding. Mr Dorman concluded he died from multiple injuries.
Ms Brenda O'Rourke (16) of Moneymore, Drogheda was identified by a tattoo of the letters BOR on her shoulder by her father Timothy. She too suffered multiple serious injuries.
She had a blood-alcohol reading of 29 milligrammes and was positive for cannabinoids.
The second teenager, Ms Sarah Jane McKenna of Rathmullen, was identified facially by her aunt, Ms Lily Maguire. She suffered multiple injuries. Her blood was negative for alcohol and for drugs.
Between them the dead men left nine children.
The lorry driver, Mr John Myers, was married with a young child. An inquest into his death took place last week.