The death of a Co Limerick teenager in a car crash involving former Munster and Ireland rugby player Eddie Halvey was “tragic and unnecessary”, a coroner said today.
An inquest heard today Kevin Walsh (16) of Sycamore Drive, Bruff, was sitting in the rear seat of his uncle’s red BMW car when it was hit from behind by a Toyota Landcruiser being driven by Mr Halvey on the main Dublin-Limerick Road at Coole, Toomevara, Co Tipperary on April 1st, 2005. .
Garda Declan O’ Carroll of Nenagh Garda Station told the inquest at Nenagh Courthouse that the crash took place on a relatively straight stretch of road at around 5.10am. When he arrived at the scene he saw Mr Halvey’s vehicle embedded into the back of the BMW.
Kevin Walsh was in a slumped position in the rear seat. He was taken to Nenagh hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Garda O’Carroll said he spoke to Mr Halvey, of Allendale Hall, South Circular Road, Limerick, who told him that the BMW had pulled across from the opposite site of the road before the collision, but then said it had pulled out from the left.
He said he got a strong smell of alcohol from Mr Halvey’s breath, his speech was slurred and he was unsteady on his feet. Mr Halvey had told him that he had had a few drinks. A subsequent breath test gave a reading of 83 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres.
Vincent Tierney said he and his brother Declan, both uncles of the deceased, where travelling with their late nephew from Bruff to Newry to buy a car. He said when he reached Coole in Toomevara he saw cattle on the road.
He said he pulled onto the grass margin as he didn’t want to drive on without getting the cattle off the road to make the route safe for other road users. He saw the lights of a vehicle coming from behind and he felt an impact from the rear.
Mr Tierney said he was certain that the lights were on in his vehicle and the hazard lights were working. He was certain that his vehicle was in a stationary position for at least three minutes before the impact occurred.
A postmortem conducted by pathologist Dr Elizabeth Mulcahy found the extensive injuries sustained by Kevin Walsh were consistent with being involved in a road traffic collision.
The jury returned a verdict of death due to misadventure.
Coroner Joe Kelly Kelly said Kevin Walsh’s death was “tragic and unnecessary” and extended his deepest sympathy to the Walsh family.
Last May, Mr Halvey - who did not attend the inquest - received a seven-month suspended sentence after he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol and careless driving. Halvey was also disqualified from driving for seven years.