Hurler’s car may have hit water before fatal crash

Date Published: 01-Oct-2009

THE car driven by a 24 year old Galway hurler who died in a single vehicle collision near Loughrea last year may have aquaplaned on water which was flowing down the centre of the road.

An inquest into the death of off-duty student Garda, Paul Flynn, of Drim, Kylebrack, Loughrea, heard how his V.W. Passat car hit a wall at Masonbrook in the early hours of Sunday morning, October 5 2008.

The All-Ireland under 21 medal winner, who hurled at club level with Tommie Larkins and was also a senior Galway panellist, was stationed in Limerick from where he was returning when the tragic accident occurred.

Louise Healy of Masonbrook told the inquest howshe was woken up by a loud bang at around 5 a.m. on the morning in question. She knew it was a car and she could hear the wipers and engine running.

She phoned the Gardai and was told a patrol car would be sent as soon as possible. At that stage the lights of the car had faded, like they had been dimmed.

Garda Michael Newport said he had gone to Masonbrook following a report from a woman who had heard a loud bang outside her house, and at 5.15 a.m. arrived at the scene of a single vehicle collision in which the car appeared to have collided with the wall of a house.

He noticed…