A YOUNG garda who was on the phone to her boyfriend when he was struck by a taxi while crossing a road broke down at an inquest as she recalled his phone going dead.
John Forde (27), Ballinclae Heights, Killiney, Co Dublin, sustained fatal injuries when he was struck by a taxi following a night out while crossing the N11 Stillorgan dual carriageway in the early hours of May 23rd, 2010.
He was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead at about 8pm that evening. He died of multiple traumatic injuries. A jury of six men and one woman returned a verdict of accidental death.
Garda Marion Power of Dún Laoghaire Garda station, who was Mr Forde’s girlfriend, was in tears going into the witness box to give evidence in Dublin Coroner’s Court. Garda Power, who was working that night, said Mr Forde had called her that evening, and she spoke to him several times.
She took a call on her mobile at 3.34am. “I was speaking to him for maybe a minute or so, I’m not sure, and then the phone went dead. I thought John had hung up. At 3.48am I tried to ring him back and the phone was dead.”
A few minutes later Garda Power met a colleague who told her she was on her way to Ballinclea Heights to caution a family that a John Forde had been in an accident on the N11 in Stillorgan.
“I knew then it was John Forde who was involved in the accident,” said a visibly upset Garda Power.
The incident occurred between 3.30am and 3.40am on the dual carriageway at the junction with Kilmacud Road Lower.
The inquest heard the lights were green for traffic and red for pedestrians when the incident occurred. Taxi driver Felix Obankole told the hearing a young male suddenly walked out in front of him. “He was talking on his mobile phone and was not looking where he was going,” said Mr Obankole, who expressed his condolences to the family.
A file was submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions and no prosecution was directed.
Passerby Conor Meany said: “I heard a thud . . . I saw a person about two to three feet off the ground, but he travelled about 20 feet along the road. I ran toward the body,” he said. He dialled the emergency services. When paramedics arrived Mr Forde was unconscious and in cardiac arrest.
The court heard Mr Forde, his friend David Foster and others had gone to McGowan’s pub in Stillorgan at midnight. Mr Foster said they all had four to five pints and that John was “merry” but not drunk. They left just after 3am.
“Right before I reached the island in the middle of the dual carriageway I heard a bang. I looked around and I saw John in the air. I saw him hitting the ground . . .” said Mr Foster.
Public Service Vehicle inspector John Flood said the car, a red Ford Mondeo, was roadworthy. He said the horn was not working. Forensic scene investigator Garda John Reynolds said the non-working horn was a defect which could have been a contributing factor in the incident. He said the range of speed for the car was 43.9km/h to 64.9km/h. The speed limit was 60km/h.
Coroner Dr Brian Farrell said there were a number of risk factors. He could not say whether the fact Mr Forde was on his phone was a risk factor. He did not know what the alcohol level was.
He expressed condolences to Mr Forde’s father Dr James “Shay” Forde, his mother and other family members.