Pedestrian killed by ambulance had refused two offers of lifts, inquest told

A 45-YEAR-OLD pedestrian who died after being struck by a HSE ambulance near Killorglin, Co Kerry, early on December 27 last, had refused two different offers of drives to his home shortly before the accident, an inquest was told yesterday.

A jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence that the death of John Carey, married with a family, of Tulligbeg, Killorglin, was due to misadventure consistent with being involved in a road traffic accident.

Two Glenbeigh men Seamus O’Rahilly and Sean Falvey gave evidence of separately meeting Mr Carey on the road out of Killorglin, after 2am.

They said they had offered to drive Mr Carey home, but he declined, saying he wanted the gardaí to drive him. Mr O’Rahilly said there was a smell of drink from him but he did not appear very drunk.

Mr Falvey, a hackney driver, said Mr Carey appeared to be “wild and irate” and asked witness to ring the gardaí to drive him home.

The witness said Mr Carey sat down on the road and lay back with his head facing the Killorglin side and the soles of his feet towards Glenbeigh. Witness asked him to move off the road, but he would not.

When he saw the ambulance approach from the Glenbeigh side, Mr Falvey said he put out his hand in an effort to flag down the ambulance and was shouting at it to stop.

He was also shouting at Mr Carey to get up, but the ambulance hit him and dragged him along the road for about 20 feet.

The ambulance driver Vivienne Forde said she was driving very slowly as she had seen a vehicle ahead of her which was reversing and also had its brake lights on.

Replying to solicitor Padraig O’Connell, for the Carey family, she said she did not see the deceased before the collision.

She presumed he was in the centre of the road as she was overtaking when she felt a thud and immediately braked.

Ms Forde said she was travelling at around 40km/h at the time of the impact.

A post-mortem examination was carried out by Assistant State pathologist Dr Margot Bolster who found that death was due to extensive abdominal injuries consistent with being run over by a vehicle.

A blood sample taken from the deceased showed a blood/alcohol concentration of 204mg.

Mr Carey worked as a driver with a quarrying company.