Lives of four men ‘snuffed out needlessly’

The lives of three brothers and a friend were “snuffed out needlessly” in a “moment of madness” when alcohol and speed combined, a coroner said yesterday.

Tallaght natives Darren, 27, David, 24, and Ryan, 17, Doyle were killed, along with their friend Lee Bryan, 24, on Aug 10, 2012. All four lived in the same estate in Portarlington, Co Laois.

The men were travelling in Mr Bryan’s car when it collided with an oncoming 30-seater bus at Meelaghans on the Portarlington Road, 2km outside Tullamore.

Mr Bryan’s blood alcohol level was so high it would be associated with people going into a stupor, the inquest heard, and the severity of the injuries was akin to those in an air crash.

Coroner Brian Mahon said: “Their lives on that day were simply snuffed out in a moment of madness, really.”

Stating there are lessons to be learned from every accident, he said: “A lethal combination of alcohol and speed led these young fellas to their deaths.

“It just begs belief as to how the families of these four men have been in a position to deal with this.”

Portarlington resident Sinead Fletcher had visited a park in Tullamore with the men earlier that sunny day.

She described the men as great fun and full of energy and said they arrived at 3.30pm and had been playing football. Ms Fletcher, who did not see any of the men consume alcohol, said they left at around 5.10pm.

Bus driver John Keyes, 54, had two passengers when he saw an oncoming car swerve in his direction. “I did everything I could to avoid to avoid it,” he said. He said the car collided with the front of the bus.

Frank O’Rourke was in a 4x4 behind the bus. He “saw a car veer towards the centre lane and correct himself”. On the third occasion it veered, the car collided and “exploded immediately”, he recalled.

Moments before, Gerry Griffin was overtaken by the car as he drove towards Portarlington from Tullamore. “The speed they were doing was too fast,” he said.

Garda Michael Nolan investigated the scene. “The Honda Civic was split and the engine was crushed and shattered all over the scene.” He said the crash was caused by the Honda “crossing the road into the path of an oncoming Mercedes bus”.

“I’m satisfied that excessive speed was a factor in this collision,” he said.

Garda Liam Daly of Tullamore Garda Station said although it was difficult to say who was in the front or back of the car, “driving the car was Lee Bryan”.

Margaret Lynch, pathologist at the Midland Regional Hospital at Tullamore, conducted autopsies on all four men.

Prior to delivering her evidence, she warned family members that “this evidence is quite upsetting”.

Dr Lynch read toxicology reports on the victims which revealed all had alcohol in their blood. She said Mr Bryan’s reading of 314mgs was a level associated with people going into a stupor. The brothers had lower levels: Darren of 161mgs; David of 176mgs; and Ryan of 166mgs.

After Dr Lynch outlined the injuries suffered by each of the men, Mr Mahon asked her whether they were the most extensive injuries she had ever seen.

“Absolutely without a doubt,” Dr Lynch replied, before agreeing that death would have been “instantaneous”. She also agreed with Mr Mahon’s contention that, short of an air crash, she would not have seen injuries of this severity.

On hearing the men had five children between them, Mr Mahon said: “I am just so sad for the parents and their partners and children.”