Mayo coroner warns drivers to be 'constantly vigilant' 

A man whose car veered onto the wrong side of the road, resulting in a head-on collision in which his wife died, admitted to gardaí afterwards that he “may have had a momentary lapse in concentration”.

The hearing into the death of Lizy Abraham Saju, a 63-year-old nurse with extensive medical experience in India, where she served as a captain in the Indian Army as well as in the Middle East and Ireland, was conducted at Ballina Courthouse by Mayo coroner Dr Eleanor Fitzgerald.

Ms Saju, with an address in Kill, Co Kildare, sustained fatal injuries when the Toyota Yaris car being driven by her husband, Saju Varghese, drifted into the path of a camper van on the N59 at Knocknageeha, Newport, on August 8, 2024. The deceased was a back-seat passenger.

At the outset of an inquest, Gda Sgt Noel Crinnegan explained there had been an intensive garda investigation into the collision but the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed there should be no prosecution in the case.

A number of witnesses gave evidence to the hearing that the car driven by Mr Varghese veered into the path of the camper van, which was being driven by Christopher Tewes, a German national. Mr Tewes and his wife Eva were holidaying in the west of Ireland and had just driven through Newport on their way to a camping site in Mulranny when the collision occurred. They had rented a camper van in Dublin prior to driving to Mayo.

Mr Varghese was also touring in the West with his wife and extended family and was driving his wife’s car from Achill Sound towards Newport. His sister-in-law occupied the front passenger seat and his wife was in the back seat.

A number of eyewitnesses told gardaí that the car crossed into the path of the camper van. Finbarr Gallagher, from Achill Island, said the driver of the camper van did not have a chance to react.

Subsequent to the accident, Mr Varghese gave a statement to gardaí in which he outlined that on the journey from Achill he had been driving slowly and taking breaks at various landmarks. A car driven by his son, Edwin, was in front of him. He had not been exceeding the speed limit.

“The next thing I recall was regaining consciousness following a collision," Mr Varghese continued in his statement. “I then realised I had a collision with a van. I must have had a momentary lapse in concentration which contributed to the accident.

“I was brought to Mayo University Hospital where I was informed that my wife had tragically lost her life."

Concluding his statement, Mr Varghese said his sister-in-law sustained spinal serious injuries in the impact and is still recovering.

Tewes told gardaí it had been raining, though not heavily, as they drove through Newport.

“On a hill outside the town I saw a grey car swerve into our lane. I was driving on the left-hand side of the road and did not cross at any time. The grey car collided with the camper van on the passenger side. The collision was very forceful.

“The fire brigade and ambulance arrived. My wife and I were both taken to hospital."

Gda Sgt Gabriel McLoughlin, public service vehicle inspector, gave evidence that he found no defects in either vehicle that could have contributed to the collision. He said he was satisfied that the Yaris was on its incorrect side of the road at the time of impact.

Pathologist Dr Fadel Bennani gave the cause of death as hemorrhagic shock due to hemothroax due to traumatic chest injury.

In her concluding remarks before returning a verdict of accidental death, Dr Fitzgerald noted that the car driver had no recollection of what happened and had said he may have fallen asleep or nodded off. She urged absolute concentration from drivers. 

“One has to be constantly vigilant”, she stated, noting that there could have been further fatalities.

The inquest heard that the deceased was a mother of two and grandmother of four, who worked as a nurse in Ireland at a number of locations. These included Innis Ree Lodge Nursing Home, Ballyleague, Co Roscommon; Ara Mathair Pol Community Nursing Unit, Castlerea and Meath Community Unit, Dublin 8.

• Published as part of the Courts Reporting Scheme.