Man (38) who died in 'horrifying' Mayo crash remembered as 'a brilliant engineer'
A badly injured woman fled her car through a rear seat and crawled away from a ‘fireball’ after another car skidded into her vehicle on a ‘lethally icy road' in January 2024, an inquest has been told.
Ciara Hussey, originally from Killasser, Swinford, was living in Hollymount and working in Tuam when a Toyota Corolla car driven by Terence Killeen (38), Redhill, Tulrahan, Claremorris, crashed into her Opel Astra on the R311 at Tagheen, Claremorris.
Mr. Killeen was killed instantly in the impact.
Ms. Hussey, who is back living in Killasser and is being cared for by her family, provided evidence via video link to an inquest conducted in Ballina Courthouse by Dr. Eleanor Fitzgerald, Coroner for the District of Mayo.
“I was going to work in Tuam early on the morning of January 5,” she recounted in a statement read to the inquest.
“I noticed lights coming towards me on my side of the road. Another car collided with me head on.
“I noticed flames immediately engulfing the other car.
“I knew that I was injured. I crawled from the front seat of my car to the back seat. The other car engulfed in flames.
“I got out through the back seat and crawled on the ground away from the car.”
Ms. Hussey said she was unable to summons help as her phone was still in the car but after a few minutes a lady driver appeared and provided her shelter in her car.
When gardaí, fire brigade and paramedics arrived, Ms. Hussey was put in the back of an ambulance before being transferred to hospital where she was kept for seven days.
Her injuries included a broken fibia and tibia, and a dislocated ankle, amongst other injuries. She has had three surgeries on her right leg and may require further surgery going forward.
Responding to questions from the coroner she said there was no way she could avoid the collision. Her car had gone on fire as well as the other vehicle.
Kevin Gibbons, who lives at the crash scene, in a statement, said he jumped out of bed after hearing 'an unmerciful smash'.
He added: “I then heard a cry for help, a haunting sound.”
When he ran outside he could see flames. The road was extremely icy. He told ambulance personnel he believed there was somebody in the second car.
Sergeant Gabriel McLoughlin, PSV inspector, described road conditions at the time, as described by various witnesses, as very slippery with black ice on a right hand bend.
Asked about the cause of the fire which first engulfed Mr. Killeen’s car, Sergeant McLoughlin said he believed it was caused by petrol pouring onto the car’s catalytic converter.
Before returning a verdict of accidental death, Dr. Fitzgerald noted that both vehicles were engulfed when the fire ignited and it was fortunate that Ciara did not lose her life as well.
Describing the accident as 'horrifying', the coroner said the public should be aware that any collisions pose risks and safety checks on vehicles are essential.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Maria, a sister of Terence Killeen, described the loss of her brother as a nightmare for her family.
“The moment the guards brought us the terrible news will stay forever imprinted on our minds,” she stated.
Maria described her brother as a brilliant engineer with a broad range of interests.
She expressed gratitude to members of An Garda Síochána, neighbours for their support and all who assisted at the scene.
Expressing sympathy with the family, Sergeant Sean McHale, courts presenter, thanked gardaí in Claremorris and the fire service who attended and assisted at the scene.
* Funded under the Courts Reporting Scheme