The family of a musician who was killed in a road accident on the main Galway-Dublin road, has blamed Westmeath County Council for her death.
Carmel Staunton (22), of the family folk and rock band, The Stauntons, was killed on the way to a concert in Tullamore on October 24th, 2003.
At an inquest in Mullingar yesterday , the family says her death was the fault of Westmeath County Council because of the condition of the road.
The accident happened two miles on the Galway side of Kinnegad as the Stauntons were driving from Dublin to Tullamore for the concert.
The inquest heard there was a drop-off just to the left of the broken yellow line on the left-hand side of the road. The car driven by Carmel's sister Emma - with brother Martin in the back - veered over the yellow line and immediately got caught in the drop-off.
In an effort to correct the car, Emma pulled it out to the right, but it shot across the road and into the pathway of a lorry. Carmel Staunton suffered multiple injuries and died in hospital shortly afterwards.
The Stauntons, who live at Eyrecourt, Ballinasloe, Co Galway, say the road is not properly bounded by a hard shoulder at this point, considering the volume of traffic on it every day.
Mr Ambrose Cuddy, solicitor for the family, said Westmeath County Council was responsible for the "appalling state" of the roadway. "They are responsible for this terrible tragedy," he said.