Crashed after driving wrong way down M1

AN inquest into the death of James (Jim) Quigley heard he was killed instantly after driving the wrong way down the M1 and into the path of an oncoming lorry.

The court was told that gardai were dealing with the suspicious death of Jim’s wife Marie at their family home, when reports came in about the fatal road crash on the motorway.

Coroner Ronan Maguire took evidence from a number of motorists on the M1 on the afternoon of July 27th 2015.

The driver of a blue Ford Focus who had been driving from Charleville in Cork to Belfast told how he and his daughter were passing through junction 14 on the motorway, in an area known as Drumgoolsetown, Stabannon.

The court heard a silver Ford Fusion was travelling the wrong way down the ramp and along the hard shoulder of the motorway before it was suddenly driven in front of an articulated lorry.

The driver of the blue car recalled his vehicle was struck as a result of the collision, and his vehicle ended up in the central reservation of the motorway.

Another witness told of seeing the silver Ford Fusion on the hard shoulder, and looking into the eyes of the driver - who it later emerged was Jim Quigleybefore the vehicle continued on along the hard shoulder and collided moments later with the lorry.

Garida attended the scene, and told how the silver car and been in a direct collision with an articulated lorry. The driver of the car had suffered extensive head injuries and it was clear it had been a fatal crash.

The inquest also heard from the truck driver, who was from Co. Antrim, and had been heading back north on the motorway.

He saw the silver Ford on the hard shoulder coming towards him. He was driving on the inside lane, but another car was in the overtaking lane. When the silver Ford drove straight off the hard shoulder and towards his lorry he tried to avoid the collision but it was impossible.

The driver of the silver car was later identified using DNA, and his body was removed for a post mortem, which was carried out by State pathologist, Dr. Marie Cassidy.

She said there was evidence of coronary trouble, and he had previously had a pacemaker fitted.

Dr. Cassidy said she was also made aware of a long history of mental illness, and there was a possibility of schizophrenia.

She said there had been significant injuries to the head and trunk of his body, and found that the crush injuries were in line with his being involved in a road traffic collision.

She said the background she had received was that he had driven deliberately into the path of an oncoming truck.

Coroner Ronan Maguire told the jury of the verdict which could be considered, adding that if they were to consider a verdict of suicide, they would have to be satisfied ‘ beyond all reasonable doubt’.

The jury returned an ‘open verdict’ and the cause of death in accordance with the medical evidence, crush injuries due to a collision.