Woman ‘fell out of moving car to death on motorway’

A DUBLIN woman fell out of a moving car to her death on the M1 motorway just hours after she had tried to cut her wrists, Dublin Coroner’s Court heard.

An inquest into the death of Irene Finnegan, aged 38, of Ardlee Road, Artane, heard that she was being brought for admission to St Ita’s Psychiatric Hospital, Portrane, by her parents when the tragedy occurred.

Ms Finnegan’s father Harry gave evidence that his daughter had attempted to cut her wrists with a smashed cup at their home on August 7 last. As a result, he and his wife Una brought Ms Finnegan to her local GP to secure a letter of admission for St Ita’s.

On the way to the hospital, Mr Finnegan said he was stopped at a junction near his home when he noticed that Irene, who had been in the back passenger seat, was kneeling on the ground as if she had fallen out of the vehicle. She got back into the car, but refused to wear her seatbelt.

A short time later, Mr Finnegan said he was driving at about 50mph on the overtaking lane of the M1 motorway near the exit for Dublin Airport when he saw his daughter “tumbling” on the road and being struck by two wheels of the following vehicle.

Eoghan Crosbie, who was driving a van and trailer on the inside lane told the court that it looked like Ms Finnegan had wanted to get out of the car “by her own choice”. Although he swerved his vehicle to the left, Mr Crosbie said he had no chance to take any evasive manoeuvres and realised the side-wheels of the trailer had hit the victim. He ran back to attend her injuries, but she was already unconscious.

The court heard a post mortem concluded that she died from multiple injuries to her chest area, including numerous rib fractures.

Members of the Finnegan family expressed surprise that a toxicology report showed no sign of any alcohol or drugs present in her body as she was on medication for depression.

She was upset at having been diagnosed as being “slightly schizophrenic” after just a 30-minute meeting with a consultant.

The jury returned a unanimous open verdict on the case after Dublin City Coroner Dr Brian Farrell directed the jurors not to consider a verdict by suicide as there was insufficient evidence to suggest that Ms Finnegan had intentionally taken her own life.