THE PARENTS of one of four NUI Galway students killed in a road crash in north Galway last November have appealed to the National Roads Authority (NRA) and local authorities to carry out a safety upgrade to the road where they died.
Tom and Rose McLoughlin, parents of Sorcha Rose McLoughlin (19) from Mulgannon, Co Wexford, issued their plea at the inquest into the deaths of the four young women yesterday.
The inquest was held in Headford courthouse under Galway coroner Dr Val Costello.
Ms McLoughlin died along with college friends Marie Conneely from Baile na hAbhann, Connemara; Teresa Molloy (19) of Leitir Mór, Connemara; and Sarah Byrne (20) from Headford in the collision close to the Galway-Mayo border on November 17th last year.
Aran islander Michelle O’Donnell (21), the driver of the Peugeot 206 in which five students were travelling, is still critical in Galway University Hospital, eight months after the crash.
The art students at NUIG were driving back to Galway from a shopping trip to Sligo in heavy rain when their car collided with a truck on a bend at Carrownurlaur, between Milltown in north Galway and Ballindine in south Mayo.
Local residents have issued appeals about the hazardous stretch due to the number of collisions there in recent years.
The truck driver, Patrick Kelly of Ballindine, said he was familiar with the stretch of road. He described how at about 7.30 that evening he saw the Peugeot come around the bend ahead of him, but said it veered across in front of his truck as it came closer. He said it appeared to “shoot in front of me”.
Deirdre Murphy of Ballina, Co Mayo, who was driving behind Mr Kelly for some miles, said the weather was very bad, with heavy rain and surface water on the road. She said she heard a skid and a loud bang. “The truck driver did nothing wrong – he could do nothing,” Ms Murphy said. “He tried to avoid them – he was flawless in his driving.”
Her father, Donal Murphy, said he saw the blue car come from the right and felt that the driver wasn’t going to make it. He ran up to the car and could see that the occupants were young women.
Garda forensic collision investigator Ollie White said that the women had been wearing seat belts.
Evidence of multiple injuries was given by two pathologists. Dr Costello, coroner for north Galway, told the famllies that the women would have died almost immediately after the collision.
Dr Costello assured the families they would not have suffered. He expressed his sincere sympathy to all the families, as did Mr Kelly’s solicitor, John O’Dwyer.
Supt Marie Skehill of Galway Garda station also expressed her sympathy and she paid tribute to the rescue services and others who had tried to assist that night.
The jury at the inquest recorded a verdict of accidental death.
Mr McLoughlin said that he hoped a flashing sign warning drivers of the bend’s hazards would be kept in place, but pleaded for the stretch to be upgraded. His wife, Rose, described how heartbroken the couple were. “She was fun, she loved everyone, young and old, and was a friend to all,” Mrs McLoughlin said.