This article is from page 4 of the 2006-02-28 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
THE death of a former official driver for ex-Junior Health Minister Frank Fahey, who was killed in a road accident near Clarecastle, was recounted at an inquest in Ennis last week.
A verdict of “accidental death” was returned at the inquest of John Cahill (68) of Gort, County Galway, who died at Ennis General Hospital shortly after a red Volkswagen van – driven by a drunk driver – collided with his car at Knocknamana, Clarecastle, at 10.30pm on November 5, 2004.
Seargent Michael Haran told the inquest that shortly before the crash, gardaí had received a call about a van which had struck a wall on the Limerick Road in Ennis. Gardaí had gone to the scene, when they were directed to attend a “serious road traffic accident” near Clarecastle.
He said when he arrived at the scene, he found Mr Cahill’s car “in a very damaged state in the grass verge.” Sgt Haran said road conditions and weather were dry and that there were no skid marks on the road. He said, however, that a trail of water could be seen leading from the victim’s car across the road to where the red van had stopped some 40 yards away.
Sgt Haran also said he also saw John Joseph Hogan (43) of Killeen, Corofin, the driver of a red Volkswagen van, at the scene and that he was unsteady on his feet and intoxicated. Mr Hogan was later arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.
The inquest heard details of an autopsy carried out on Mr Cahill at the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick. Dr Peter Fawl concluded that Mr Cahill died from “multiple head and thoracic injuries, consistent with being involved in a road traffic accident.”
After being addressed by the Coroner Isobel O’Dea, the jury returned a verdict of “accidental death.”
Last July, at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court, 43 year old John Joseph Hogan of Killeen, Corofin and Bushy Park, Ennis, was sentenced to three years imprisonment and was disqualified from driving for 30 years, after he admitting dangerous driving causing the death of Mr Cahill.
Hogan had been convicted of drunk driving on the day before the fatal crash.
However his disqualification from driving for that offence was not due to take effect for three months.