‘To lose a child so suddenly and so tragically is very difficult’

Jack Matthews died following a car accident just 200 yards from his home

A 20-year-old man who had been on his way to a music festival with his friend died as a result of head injuries sustained in a road traffic accident, Drogheda Coroner’s Court has heard.

Jack Matthews (pictured) from Cartown, Termonfeckin was just 200 yards from his home when the car he was driving crossed over the road and collided with a tree before coming to a stop in a hedge.

The accident occurred just after the hump back bridge.

Luke Mullen, a friend of Jack’s who was in the car when the accident happened, told the court in a written deposition that he had met Jack earlier that evening in Tullyallen.

He said they were due to go to a music festival in Dundalk that night and were on the way to Jack’s house so he could get changed when the accident happened.

He said just after the humbback bridge he could feel the car in the air and he held his breath as it landed.

After the impact Jack’s head was slumped forward. Luke said he could hear people’s voices and shouted for them to call an ambulance.

Two men helped him out of the car and to their jeep where he waited until the ambulance arrived.

Friends David Clinton and Christopher Mitchell were out hunting in a nearby field on the night the accident happened and told how, at around 10pm, they heard a car make a noise like a skid followed by a loud bang.

They could see debris on the road and heard someone calling.

David Clinton said he asked Luke to check his friend’s pulse and then he called the emergency services.

Garda Olivia Donnolly said she was on duty on Friday, September 16th with Garda Ciaran Murphy when they received a call to attend a car accident at Cartown, Termonfeckin.

At the scene she saw a silver Ford Fiesta which was facing downwards in a field just below the humpback bridge.

She said ambulance personnel were treating Luke Mullen at the scene. His injuries were not life threatening and he was transferred by ambulance to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.

They informed her there was another young male in the driver seat of the vehicle who was not showing any signs of life.

Jack Matthews was transferred to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and was pronounced dead at 12.16am by Dr Joshua de Markey. His body was formally identified by his uncle, John Cumiskey.

Sergeant Jame Walsh who inspected the scene following the crash said there was debris on the road and a set of tyre marks which started in the Termonfeckin bound lane and crossed into the Killineer lane.

The hedge was broken down and there was damage to a mature tree in the vicinity.

He said the damage to the car was consistent with having collided with the tree and continuing through the verge.

Sergeant Walsh said both seatbelts had been worn at the time of the impact. He was not able to determine the speed of the vehicle at the time of the collision.

Pathologist Dr John Ryan said Jack has sustained severe head injuries that were incompatible with life and death would have been almost instantaneous.

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death following a road traffic accident. Coroner Ronan Maguire extended his heartfelt sympathy to Jack’s family who were present for the inquest. ‘Everyone can see how difficult it is for you all. To lose a child so suddenly and so tragically is very difficult,’ he said.