Coroner issues warning after tragic death of Erris student

A coroner has issued a warning to motorists about the dangers of drunk driving and not wearing a seatbelt after a young Belmullet woman died when the car she was driving overturned and landed in a drain.

An inquest at Ballina Courthouse into the death of Lauren Padden, aged 22, heard that her car left the road while rounding a bend at Corclough West, Belmullet on January 27 last and collided with a ditch. Ms Padden, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown from the vehicle. 

The popular young student, from Shanaghy, Belmullet, had been travelling with two friends, Niall Wilson and Olivia Byrne, when the tragic accident occurred at around 9pm.

A jury of five men and one woman returned a verdict of accidental death in accordance with the medical evidence.

Front-seat passenger Niall Wilson recalled that he and Ms Padden had travelled to meet a friend near Shanaghy in her 2002 Toyota Corolla hatchback at about 2pm and the trio agreed to go for some drinks in Binghamstown. After they socialised, Ms Padden dropped their friend home and the pair travelled on to the Corner House pub in Belmullet for a few hours where they met Ms Padden’s grandfather Paddy.

Ms Padden contacted her friend Olivia Byrne and they picked her up after 8.45pm. She sat in the back passenger seat as they drove to Ms Padden’s house in Shanaghy.

“I remember passing a car on the road and Lauren swerved to avoid it,” Olivia said. “I put on my seatbelt then because I thought we were going a little bit too fast."

Ms Byrne said the next thing she remembered was the car “tumbling maybe three or four times”.

The inquest was told that the car overturned multiple times and ended up in a drain eight metres from the road, landing in about one metre of water.

Ms Byrne recalled Mr Wilson shouting: "Is everyone okay?" She then heard a neighbour Karina Donnellan shouting at them to get out of the car, which had smoke billowing from it.

Mr Wilson and local man Jack Heffernan, who arrived at the scene, helped her to exit the car through the driver’s window. It was only then she realised that Lauren was missing.

Niall Wilson, also from Shanaghy, Belmullet, told gardaí that he found Ms Padden lying lifeless in the drain. He managed to get her out of the drain with the assistance of local men Jack Heffernan and Ian Togher. CPR was carried out until paramedic Ken Kelly arrived at the scene at 9.16pm. Resuscitation attempts continued for 28 minutes, but despite the best efforts, Ms Padden was pronounced dead by Dr Fergal Ruane at 9.50pm.

Garda Sarah Cosgrove said the road was wet and conditions were foggy and misty.

Sgt Gabriel McLoughlin, forensic collision investigator, said the two front windows of the car were broken but the brakes were fine, the tyres were reasonable, and the seatbelts were working.

Consultant pathologist Dr Tamas Nemeth, who carried out a post-mortem on January 28, confirmed the cause of death was asphyxia due to drowning.

Mr Nemeth’s colleague Dr Fedal Benani said the deceased “had mild head injuries, a high alcohol level and a fractured leg”, but no traumatic injuries.

Olivia Byrne and Niall Wilson both suffered minor injuries and were treated at Mayo University Hospital.

Coroner Dr Eleanor Fitzgerald said the untimely death of Ms Padden was a reminder of the dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol and without a seatbelt.

“I think every effort was made to save her life but unfortunately it did not happen,” she added.

The coroner commended the quick response of the paramedics, Gardaí, fire brigade and particularly the local people who came to Ms Padden's assistance. She sympathised with the Padden family on their terrible loss.

Gda Sgt Sean McHale extended sympathy on behalf of An Garda Síochána to the Padden family.