Open verdict on ambulance driver’s death

A JURY returned an open verdict yesterday following an inquest into the death of an ambulance driver who was killed after a road accident while transferring a patient to hospital last year.

Cork Coroner’s Court heard that John O’Mahony, a 42-year-old married man from Clonakilty, Co Cork, died from a combination of massive head, chest and abdominal injuries a number of hours after the ambulance he was driving left the road and flipped onto its side while travelling along the main Bandon to Cork road last September.

Mr O’Mahony and his partner, Joseph Tobin, were transferring a patient to Cork University Hospital (CUH) when the accident happened on a straight stretch of road at Toureen at about 4.40am on Saturday, September 17. Driving conditions at the time were good.

Mr Tobin said they were transferring Pauline Harrington, who had taken some tablets, from a house at Richmond Place in Bandon, to CUH.

Mr Tobin sat in the back of the ambulance with her and began taking details as Mr O’Mahony began driving to CUH. Mr Tobin said it was not an emergency case.

“There was no rush. John was driving with the comfort of the patient in mind,” he said.

Mr Tobin said they were about two miles east of Innishannon when he felt a massive jolt.

“I was lifted out of my seat and slammed into the presses in the back. The patient was ejected from the stretcher,” he said.

“I then became aware that the ambulance was lying on its left side. I told the patient not to move and I called to John. There was no answer. I couldn’t see him in the front.”

Mr O’Mahony had been flung from the vehicle and was lying on the road.

Matthew Gerraghty, an off-duty garda, came upon the accident and helped Mr Tobin out of the ambulance. Emergency crews were on the scene within minutes. Mr O’Mahony was rushed to CUH but died a few hours later.

Garda Adrian Tucker, a garda vehicle inspector, told the inquest there were no faults or pre-existing defects that would have caused the ambulance to lose control.

“The lack of tyre marks would suggest that excessive speed was not a factor in this accident,” he said.

Mr Tobin has not returned to work. Ms Harrington broke her back in two places, received 42 stitches to a leg wound and remained in hospital until early December.

Solicitor Diarmuid Cunningham, who was representing Mr O’Mahony’s employers, the Health Service Executive (HSE), paid tribute to Mr O’Mahony yesterday and said his death was a great loss to the HSE.