Head and chest injuries caused man’s death

A 21-YEAR-OLD man died from head and chest injuries after he was knocked down on the Main Street in Arklow, Co Wicklow, in February of this year, an inquest heard yesterday.

Daniel McDonald, of Cherryfield, Arklow, was killed when he was struck by a car at about 2am on the morning of February 2, 2007.

Mr McDonald was making his way home from Rascals late-night music venue when he was hit by a Honda Civic car, the front of which was extensively damaged in the incident.

A bollard on the southern side of the street was uprooted in the accident and a granite kerb was split, while there was also damage to the doorways of two nearby clothes shops, Eric Barron’s Menswear and Oxygen.

A post-mortem carried out by eputy State pathologist Dr Michael Curtis revealed that the young man died from vehicular trauma to the head and chest, Dublin County Coroner’s Court heard.

Coroner Dr Kieran Geraghty opened and adjourned an inquest into Mr McDonald’s death following an application by Inspector Michael Walsh of Gorey Garda Station under Section 25.2 of the Coroner’s Act as charges have been made in relation to Mr McDonald’s death.

The driver of the car was arrested after the incident and later released pending analysis of a sample taken for suspected drink-driving.