Irish student falls to his death from bridge in Spain
Devastated Joe and Ann Marie O’Connor, from Boherbue, Co Cork, were being comforted by their two daughters, close family and local gardaí last night after their son, Shane, 20, died in a bizarre double tragedy on Friday.
Shane, who was due to celebrate his 21st birthday next Sunday, was a third-year student at the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT).
He was one of five GMIT students who arrived in Zaragoza on September 18 on a year-long Erasmus academic exchange as part of his BA in heritage studies.
He was found lying under a six-metre high bridge on the busy A-2 motorway at 8am on Friday. A post mortem examination confirmed that he died from head injuries consistent with a fall from a height.
His body was found about 50 metres from where the body of Spaniard Álex Herranz, 19, was also found on Friday morning.
The double tragedy occurred during Zaragoza’s annual 10-day Pilar Festival, featuring music, parades and theatre. The bodies were found next to a car park where concerts are held in a large tent.
Hundreds of youngsters gather during the festival to drink on waste ground near the concert venue. The drinking sessions, known as botellones, are illegal, but police turn a blind eye during the event.
Mr Herranz had been seen at about 7am wandering in a disoriented manner along the inside lane of the motorway and Guardia Civil investigators believe he was struck by several cars.
His funeral service was held on Saturday.
Investigators first thought that he and Mr O’Connor were friends and that their deaths were linked, but they said yesterday that they have found no connection.
“At the moment we don’t know why he [Mr O’Connor] fell,” a source close to the investigation said.
“But one theory is that like other youngsters who heard the noise of the Spanish lad being hit by the car, he ran up a bank leading from the waste ground to the motorway to see what was going on and then fell.
“Another possibility is that he fell after using the motorway as a short cut to try to get home.”
A local magistrate has taken charge of the investigation and police are interviewing motorists involved in Mr Herranz’s death, and studying footage from two 24-hour-a-day CCTV cameras near the bridge, to try and piece together the sequence of events leading to both deaths.
They are also awaiting the outcome of toxicology tests.
Diplomats at the Irish Embassy in Madrid are liaising with Mr O’Connor’s family as arrangements are made for the repatriation of his body.
A spokesperson for GMIT said academics from its international office are providing support to its four remaining Erasmus students who have been devastated by Mr O’Connor’s death.
“We would also like to extend our deepest sympathies to the O’Connor family,” the spokesperson said.
Boherbue GAA Club also paid a glowing tribute to their former player.
“He was involved in all sports. He was a nice quiet young man with lots of friends. He’ll be dearly missed by his family and the general community.”
Mr O’Connor was staying at the historic Pedro Cerbuna halls of residence in Zaragoza. Its director Jose Luis Muzquez said: “We’re all devastated at what’s happened and will take a while to get over it. This is going to affect people here for some time,” he said.
Flags at Zaragoza town hall’s were flying at half mast yesterday in a mark of respect.
The city’s Erasmus Student Network is also planning a memorial service on Wednesday, at the spot where both men lost their lives .
