This article is from page 8 of the 2006-04-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
A 20-year-old carpenter from Whitegate was killed when he lost control of his car and hit a ditch on his way home from a night out in Scariff.
Ennis Coroner’s Court heard that Colin Worrall, of Knockbrack, Whitegate, died in the single car crash close to his home in the early hours of December 4 last.
A statement from Mr Worrall’s friend, Gearóid Treacy, who was travelling in the car with him at the time, was read out during his inquest at Ennis Coroner’s Court last week.
He said that he met the dead man in a pub in Whitegate at around 9.30pm, where they had a few drinks.
They later went to Scariff, via taxi, and ended up in a nightclub there. Afterwards they went to get a takeaway.
They waited for an hour for a taxi to Whitegate and then started walking out the Mountshannon road, where they got a lift.
The man who gave them the lift drove them to the pub where Colin had parked his car earlier.
The inquest was told that Colin wanted to get his car, a black Mitsubishi Lancer.
According to Gearóid, they got into the car and Colin was to drop Gearóid home, after 4am.
He said Colin was not driving fast. He hit a ditch and the car flipped over. He couldn’t see anything and called out Colin’s name.
According to the man who had given the two a lift, he offered to drive them home, but they “wouldn’t hear of it.”
Garda Joe McGlynn, who investigated the accident, said when he went to the scene, Colin was lying on his back and the car was on its roof. He said there was no sign of the deceased wearing a seatbelt.
He said the car hit a ditch and ended up 20 metres into the driveway of a newly constructed house.
The doctor who carried out the autopsy on Colin’s body in hospital told the inquest that he sustained multiple fractures of the skull, which contributed to his death.
Coroner Isobel O’Dea suggested a verdict of accidental death and the jury agreed.
“It was a very sad and unfortunate accident . . . two young men returning from a night out,” she said.
She extended her sympathy with the family of the deceased.
“It is a terrible shame. You were expecting Colin home from a night out and he tragically died,” said Ms O’Dea.