Motorcyclist had no time to avoid fatal collision inquest hears

A 57-year-old Inishowen motorcyclist who died after being struck head-on by a car coming in the opposite direction probably had no time to try to avoid the collision, an inquest into his death has heard.

Edward McIntyre of Craigstown, Fahan died on July 4, 2018 at Magherabeg, Fahan when the Harley Davidson motorcycle he was riding was struck by a Hyundai car which had crossed over from the opposite lane.

Brian Harkin,78, a retired school principal from Loughnagin, Letterkenny, was disqualified for driving for four years and fined €3,000 last May after pleading guilty to careless driving causing death at Letterkenny Circuit Court.

The inquest at Letterkenny Coroner’s Court heard that Mr Harkin, who had been driving back from the Irish Open in Ballyliffin with his wife and two grandchildren, told a garda at the scene that he had “nodded off”.

The inquest heard a statement from Dolores O’Reilly who was driving past the Cyclists’ Rests public house in the direction of Buncrana at around 5.15pm when a car pulled out of the opposite lane and collided with a motorcyclist travelling in front of her. The motorcycle and the motorcyclist were “propelled into the air”. She took evasive action as she thought the car was going to collide with her.

Garda sergeant Charlene Anderson arrived at the scene and found the motorcyclist unresponsive. 

She spoke to Mr Harkin, the driver of the Hyundai ,who “appeared to be in a daze” and was “visibly shaken”. He told her he had been “at the golf in Ballyliffin all day”, adding that it was very warm and he thought he “nodded off”.

Mr McIntyre was taken to Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry where he was pronounced dead at 6.30pm.

A post-mortem found he suffered head injuries and a severe injury to the spine and concluded he died from multiple injuries consistent with a road traffic incident.

A Garda forensic investigation found the motorcycle fell onto its right-hand side and slid for 37 metres.

Forensic investigator Garda Hugh McCann said weather conditions were good. From CCTV footage at two local premises, it was estimated the Hyundai was travelling at between 65km/h and 74km/h in a 100km/h zone.

Garda public service vehicle inspector Damian Mulkearns said the motorcycle had suffered head-on frontal damage.

Both front airbags in the Hyundai had been deployed and both vehicles were in serviceable pre-accident condition.

Coroner Dr Denis McCauley said it appeared from the evidence that Mr McIntyre had no time to take evasive action.

He said that as the death had been the subject of criminal proceedings, the coroner’s court would agree with the outcome of the case.