Mum drank enough alcohol to kill her before crash, inquest told
A MOTHER-of-three who died in a car crash had drunk a 'fatal dose' of alcohol and taken a cocktail of drugs, an inquest heard yesterday.
Mary Connors (24) died on May 15, 2010, when the car she was driving went off the road and crashed into a tree. She had been drinking with friends to celebrate her daughter's communion the following day.
Dublin Coroner's Court heard from her friend Jade Price that Ms Connors had picked up a new car, bought for her by her brother-in-law, earlier that day.
That night they went to the Blue Gardenia pub on the Blessington Road and were drinking.
Ms Price is unable to remember what happened next.
Passing motorist Michael McGinley told the court that he was passing the Blue Gardenia on the Blessington Road heading toward Tallaght just before midnight when he spotted a car backing out on to the road.
He slowed to avoid the car but seconds later, it was right behind him and driving so close that he wasn't able to see the headlights.
He increased speed to get away from the car but it followed suit and then hit him from behind twice before overtaking. Minutes later he saw the same car in a ditch just before the Embankment Pub.
A number of people went to help at the scene and found Ms Connors and Ms Price in the car.
Ms Connors, from Blessington Road in Tallaght, had been killed instantly in the crash.
However, Ms Price had a faint pulse and was taken immediately to Tallaght Hospital where she later recovered.
The post-mortem found that Ms Connors died as a result of multiple injuries. The toxicology report showed that she was severely intoxicated at the time of her death. Her blood alcohol level was 299 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood -- six times the legal limit and the fatal dose of alcohol for a woman.
She also tested positive for cannabis, cocaine and sedatives.
The jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure.
- Gareth Naughton
Irish Independent
