Trio died in horror crash after 'chance' meeting

THREE friends died after being thrown from a car which lost control on a bend and collided with a truck parked on the other side of the street, an inquest heard last night.

Garda John Reynolds said the car was travelling at between 78 kilometres per hour and 89kph in the 50kph residential zone on Dublin's North Circular Road (NCR) when Christopher McGowan and Helen Power, both aged 30, and Thomas Shortall, aged 42, died from multiple injuries, at around 3am on April 21, 2005.

The Dublin Coroner's Court heard the injuries of the couple - Ms Power and Mr McGowan, from Parkgate Place, Parkgate Street in Dublin but originally from Co Offaly - were so horrific, they had to be identified by dental records.