Witness relives final moments before students lost their lives

Date Published: 07-Jul-2010

Patrick Kelly, the driver of the truck into which a car crashed claiming the lives of four young female students, told an inquest that if he had been on the scene a few seconds before or after the accident, the vehicle would have ended up in a field.

The families of the four victims were assured by the coroner that the girls did not suffer in the horrific accident which occurred at Carrownurlaur between Milltown and Ballindine on the night of November 17 last.

The four students had been on a shopping trip to Sligo and were returning to Galway in what were described as terrible weather conditions when the car in which they were travelling crossed the road and collided with an oncoming truck.

And the parent of one of the victims called on both Galway County Council and the National Roads Authority to carry out essential improvement works at the scene of the accident.

The inquest took place into the deaths of Marie Ní Chonghaile (19) from Baile na hAbhann, Connemara; Teresa Molloy (19) from Leitir Móir; Sarah Byrne (20) from Headford and Sorcha Rose McLaughlin (19) from Mulgannon, Co Wexford.

The driver of the car, fellow student Michelle O’Donnell from Inis Móir, was left fighting for her life and is still in a critical condition in hospital.

See full report in the Connacht Tribune.