Man who died in fall from car in Limerick was convicted killer

A convicted killer has died after falling out of a moving car and being struck by another vehicle on a busy road in Co Limerick.

Tony O'Brien (31), originally from Limerick city but recently with an address in Tralee Co Kerry, was previously jailed for seven years for the manslaughter of a 23-year-old man who died after he was assaulted by three men in Limerick in May 2006.

Mr O’Brien was a back seat passenger in a Toyota Avensis being driven along the N69 road near Kildimo in Co Limerick at 1am yesterday when he fell from the car. He was then struck by an oncoming BMW car travelling in the opposite direction towards West Limerick.

It is understood he was returning to Limerick from Kerry with friends and may have opened the door of the car to be sick when he fell out.

The driver of the BMW attempted to take evasive action but was unable to. He remained at the scene but the driver of the car in which Mr O’Brien was travelling kept going. He returned briefly to the scene and shouted at the other motorist that he had killed his friend before fleeing in the direction of Limerick city.

The driver of the BMW, a 67-year-old local man, was not injured but was said to have been traumatised by the whole incident.

A burnt out Avensis believed to the car Mr O’Brien fell out of was found yesterday in the Kennedy Park area of Limerick city.

Anyone who may have seen the 99 WH registration light blue Toyota Avensis is asked to contact Newcastle West Garda Station on 069 20650.

Detectives are still trying to piece together how exactly Mr O’Brien fell out of the moving car.

Gardaí believe there was at least one other person besides Mr O’Brien and the driver in the car, which was not stolen.

Gardaí are also speaking to another motorist who came across the scene.

“Our appeal is twofold. We are appealing for the driver and whatever other passengers were in the car to come forward so we can get a clearer picture of what happened,” said Chief Supt Dave Sheahan.

Mr O’Brien’s body remained at the scene for several hours yesterday until the Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis arrived.

A full postmortem was due to be carried out last night at University Hospital Limerick.

Mr O’Brien was jailed for seven years in 2010 for the manslaughter of Keith Ryan (23) at Fernbank, O’Callaghan Strand, Limerick, on May 25th, 2006.

Mr Ryan, who died two days before his 24th birthday, choked to death on his own blood after being stamped, punched and kicked in the head in an unprovoked attack by three assailants.

During Mr O’Brien’s trial, Judge Carroll Moran said it was a savage assault and Mr Ryan was not in a position to defend himself.

But he said credit should be given for Mr O’Brien’s time served in jail.

At a previous trial in 2007, Mr O’Brien had denied the manslaughter, but was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in jail. However, a retrial was ordered in November 2009 after the Court of Criminal Appeal ruled the conviction unsafe.

On the eighth day of the retrial in 2010, Mr O’Brien asked to be re-arraigned and pleaded guilty to manslaughter.