Conflict of evidence at car crash inquest

A CONFLICT of evidence emerged at a resumed inquest in Killarney, yesterday, into the death of a 26-year-old Romanian man in a three-car crash on the Killarney bypass, on April 13 last.

Leading Killarney businessman Sean Coyne denied claims by a number of witnesses that the Mercedes he was driving crashed into the rear of an Open Vectra in which the deceased, Cornel Hristea, was a back seat passenger.

The Vectra in which Mr Hristea, a father of three with an address at 32 Countess Grove, Killarney, was travelling, burst into flames on impact and he died at the scene from extensive burns.

A number of witnesses, including a man travelling immediately behind Mr Coyne’s car, claimed Mr Coyne’s car hit the rear of the Vectra pushing it into the path of an oncoming car with which the Vectra then collided. Michael O’Sullivan told the inquest he was travelling 50 to 60 yards behind Mr Coyne, who was about 30 yards behind the Vectra. He saw the Vectra indicate right and come to stop.

He also noticed Mr Coyne’s car was not braking, or moving to the left. The Mercedes “rear ended” the Vectra and pushed into onto the path of an oncoming Skoda Octavia, he added.

“I don’t know exactly where the Skoda hit the car [Vectra], the Vectra spun around and caught fire straight away,” Mr O’Sullivan said in a deposition.

Garda Fiona Cremin, Killarney, who investigated the accident, said Mr Coyne told her at the scene that the Vectra came towards him on his side of the road.

The garda also said the driver of the Skoda, Frances O’Sullivan, told her she had seen the Vectra come towards her and pull into the hard shoulder of the road. However, in response to questions, she said the Vectra was never on the hard shoulder. The Vectra veered towards the white line and was on its correct side of the road at all times prior to impact with her car, she said.

In his deposition, Mr Coyne, of Rookery Road, Killarney, said he was driving along at around 9am when, suddenly, there was a car facing in his direction on his side of the road. “I immediately braked hard, but could not avoid a collision,” he stated. Mr Coyne told the inquest it was being said at the scene of the crash there had been a collision before his collision. He denied a suggestion his evidence could be incorrect because of trauma.

Mr Coyne also did not agree with evidence the Romanians’ vehicle was stopped on the road and waiting to turn right when he collided into it.

Damien Hristea, a brother of the deceased, was driving the Vectra and told how his car was struck from behind as he was stopped on the centre of the road waiting to turn.

A jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence of assistant state pathologist, Dr Margot Bolster, that Cornel Hristea died from third degree burns following a traffic accident. The DPP directed no prosecution be brought. However, there may be civil actions arising from the accident.