Inquest opens into Christmas deaths
GARDAI have sent a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions following the deaths of a mother and her daughter who drowned when their car ended up in a dyke following a two car crash near their home in North Cork just days before last Christmas, an inquest heard this week.
Geraldine Clancy (58) and her daughter, Louise (22) from Leitrim, Kilworth, died after their car was involved in a two car collision on the Fermoy to Ballyduff Road at around 11.30am on December 22 last.
This Wednesday at an inquest in Mallow into their deaths, Insp Joe O’Connor told Coroner for North Cork, Dr Michael Kennedy that gardai have sent a file to the DPP in relation to the fatal two car collision and they are awaiting directions on whether charges are to be brought.
Ms Clancy and her daughter, Louise, who had just returned home for Christmas from the University of Sussex at Falmer near Brighton, where she was on an Erasmus Exchange Programme from UCC, were on their way into Fermoy when their Ford Focus was involved in a collision with another car.
From reports at the time of the tragedy, it is understood the collision may have caused their car to veer through a gap in the roadside fencing and plunge into a water-logged ditch, which had filled with water following a spell of very wet weather.
A local who was at the scene said: “There were frantic efforts to try and rescue them but because of the way the car landed it was impossible to access the vehicle.”
The inquest at Mallow Courthouse heard statement evidence from a number of gardai who attended at the crash, including a statement that Dr Jason Van der Velde pronounced Mrs Clancy and her daughter dead at the scene of the collision at Ballyderown, Kilworth at 12.20pm.
Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster told the inquest that she carried out post-mortems on both deceased at the morgue at Cork University Hospital on December 23 and both Ms Clancy and her daughter died from acute cardio-respiratory failure due to drowning.
Insp O’Connor said that as a result of criminal proceedings being considered by the DPP, he was applying for an adjournment under Section 25.1 of the Coroner’s Act and Dr Kennedy granted the application, adjourning the inquest to allow for the completion of any criminal proceedings.
Dr Kennedy then extended his sympathies to Ms Clancy’s widow, Noel and her son, Declan who were both present in court, on their loss of their loved ones and explained that death certificates would be issued shortly in respect of both deceased.
“I would like to express my sincere and deep condolences to you on your loss - it’s a terrible tragedy to happen any family to lose two members on the one day,” said Dr Kennedy before Insp O’Connor also expressed his sympathies and those of An Garda Siochana to the Clancy family on their loss.