Coroner voices concern over number of Mayo road deaths
Pat O'Connor said the number of road deaths in Mayo in 2024 was "very concerning".
A coroner has expressed concern at the high number of road deaths in Mayo since the start of this year.
Patrick O'Connor made his comments at Swinford Courthouse last week when he opened an inquest into the death of Terence Killeen, aged 38, of 4 Mayfield, Claremorris, who suffered fatal injuries in a traffic accident on January 5 last.
The inquest heard that Sgt Mark Crehan was called to the scene of the accident at Ballydaff on the R331 Claremorris-Ballinrobe Road at 8.10am on the date in question. He observed two burned-out vehicles and noted that the road surface was very slippery due to overnight weather conditions.
The female driver of the first vehicle, an Opel Astra, had been removed from the scene by ambulance. The second vehicle, a Toyota Corolla, contained the badly burned body of a male who was later identified as Mr Killeen.
Consultant pathologist Dr Tamas Nemeth said the deceased suffered extensive third-degree burns and multiple injuries, including fractures of the right femur and ribs on both sides.
Dr Nemeth’s colleague, Dr Fedel Bennani, told the inquest it was not possible to conduct an examination of the internal organs due to the severity of the injuries, but on the balance of probabilities, the medical cause of death was injuries sustained in a road traffic collision.
The coroner said this was "yet another inquest" in Mayo into a road traffic fatality.
“County Mayo is in an unenviable situation," Mr O'Connor noted. "It is at the top end of all deaths on the roads in Ireland this year and something rapidly needs to be done. The surveillance is there and the legislation is there but a comprehensive look is needed at all primary routes in the county.
“I understand Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the Road Safety Authority and Mayo County Council have been working in conjunction with An Garda Síochána to carry out surveys with works to go ahead within the next 12 months but there is only so much the authorities can do,” he said.
Mr O’Connor offered his sympathies to the family of Mr Killeen before adjourning the inquest for the completion of the Garda investigation.
