Mayo coroner's warning over drug 'known for causing fatalities when taken with other drugs'

A coroner has returned a verdict of misadventure at an inquest into the death of a 45-year-old man who was fatally injured when struck by a passing car in darkness on the N60 road at Manulla, Castlebar, on October 1, 2024.

Dr. Eleanor Fitzgerald, Coroner for the District of Mayo, arrived at her verdict after hearing medical evidence that Nikolaj Litinov, a Lithuanian national, who lived at an address in McHale Road, Castlebar, had consumed Pregabalin and Tramadol.

Pregabalin is an anti-anxiety drug while Tramadol is a popular painkiller.

At an inquest in Ballina Courthouse, Coroner Fitzgerald warned that Pregabalin is 'known for causing fatalities when taken in combination with other drugs such as Tramadol'.

She also highlighted the dangers involved in walking on unlit rural roads during the hours of darkness.

Mr. Litinov was flung into a drain and died instantly after being struck by a car while walking towards Castlebar from Balla at Lisnolan, Balla.

Evidence was given at the inquest into his death that he had been walking erratically prior to the impact and shining the light of his phone while trying to get passing motorists to give him a lift.

Anna Pysk, the girlfriend of the deceased, did not attend the inquest hearing but provided a statement to gardai which was read into evidence by garda courts presenter Sergeant Noel Crinnegan.

In the deposition Ms. Pysk outlined that her boyfriend had been in a severely distressed state prior to the accident and had earlier told her he was finishing their relationship.

She said Nikolaj then called to where she was staying in Balla smelling of alcohol.

She continued: “He said he had taken twelve tablets. He was very agitated and walking over and back the floor. He was very annoyed that he had not gotten a call from me telling him that I loved him.”

Ms. Pysk said Nikolaj wanted to stay with her for the night but she refused because she was afraid of him.

“I was scared because I had never seen Nikolaj like this before.

“I told him the reason I did not want him to stay was because he was drunk and taking tablets.

“He left at approx 9.50 p.m.

“When he was leaving he was very angry and shouting ‘Why do you not love me? Why am I not the whole world to you like you are to me?’”

Continuing her deposition, Ms. Pysk said that she was very distressed by what unfolded.

“I was very upset because if I had let him stay it would not have happened but I was afraid to be with him alone."

The driver of the car involved in the accident was Jack Canney, a student.

In a statement to gardaí he said he had been visiting his girlfriend in Aughamore and left her house around 10 p.m. to travel home.

He said: “Between Balla and Manulla I came over the brow of a hill just before the turnoff for the mart. All of a sudden I saw a person in dark clothes crouched down on my side of the road.

“I quickly swerved to the right to avoid him. He jumped in the same direction and I hit him with the front corner of my car. I had no time to brake.

“There was nothing I could do to avoid the impact.”

Sergeant Gabriel McLoughin, PSV inspector for Mayo, said Mr. Canney’s vehicle, a Ford Focus, had no defects of any kind that would have contributed to the collision.

The area was dark with no street lights and the deceased, who had been wearing dark clothing, was using his mobile phone to light the way.

When struck, the victim had been in the centre of the road, Sergeant McLoughlin stated.

Pathologist Dr. Tamas Nemeth gave the cause of death as brain herniation due to traumatic brain injury and severe head trauma.

As well as Pregnabalin and Tramadol there was also evidence of cocaine, though not at a high level, Dr. Nemeth explained.

Returning her verdict the coroner noted that from toxicology results the amount of Tramadol was very high, at a toxic level.

She said Pregnablin had caused Nikolaj to be angry and act dangerously by walking in dark clothes on an unlit road.

Ruling that drugs were a contributory factor the coroner returned a verdict of misadventure and described what happened as “very sad, very tragic."

At the outset of the hearing Sergeant Crinnegan outlined there had been an extensive garda investigation following Mr. Litinov’s death but no prosecution had been directed.

* Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.