Man (26) killed instantly in crash

The inquest into the death a man who died in road traffic collision the day after his 26th birthday has heard he was killed instantly.

The car, driven by Brian Hearty, Drumhill road, Silverbridge, County Armagh went out of control on the main Dundalk to Castleblayney road in county Louth in the early hours of the September 29, 2017.

Dundalk Coroner’s Court heard that the deceased was the only occupant in the car and he was not wearing his seat belt.

Garda Thomas Grant, Forensic Collision Investigator, estimated that the Skoda Superb was travelling in excess of 107-140kph when it went out of control.

Coroner Ronan Maguire heard that the driver over-compensated after driving on drainage stones at the side of the road which had a 100kph speed limit.

As a result the car went onto the incorrect side of the road and collided head on with the wall of a private house at Rathmore, Kilkerley.

At the time of impact the car was estimated to be travelling at 28-43 kph.

A post mortem concluded he suffered severe head injuries and the pathologist said he would have died instantly.

He had a blood alcohol level in excess of the drink driving limit.

A verdict of accidental death was returned by the jury. The Coroner and the jury expressed their sympathies to the family of the deceased.