Yao squeezed my hand and tried to talk about 'love'

By Mark O'Regan

A MAN who witnessed the freak Luas accident in which a mother-of-one was tragically killed has paid special tribute to her as a "beautiful, kind" lady.

Dominic Melia (40) from Constitution Hill, Dublin 7, was standing close to Yao Webster when she died in the crash on Monday.

A Luas tram travelling on the Red Line towards Tallaght, was in collision with a silver BMW car heading from the quays towards Parnell Street.

After colliding with the Luas, the car hit Mrs Webster, who was on the footpath.

She had been on her way to work in Usher's Quay post office when the accident occurred.

He said Yao was tying her shoelace when he noticed the car coming directly at them.

"The Luas was travelling very slowly at the time, but it tailgated the BMW. She had bent down to tie her shoelace, and when the car spun out of control, the wing mirror caught the back of her head, and that was the end of it.

"I was standing right next to her and I saw the BMW coming straight at us. I shouted 'watch out' but it was too late. Instinctively I jumped backwards into the doorway of the Ben Dunne Gym on Jervis Street.

"It should have been me, I should have pushed her out of the way.

"She was lying on the ground and I took her hand. She squeezed so tightly. She was shaking and she was trying to say something about 'love'.

"She has a young child and I think she was trying to say she loved her daughter."

IMPACT

Yao had suffered catastrophic injuries in the impact, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

"I ran across the road and got black bags from a shop at the back of Jervis Street. Another man helped me cover her body with the bags.

"I wrapped a pair of rosary beads around her hand and read her the last rites. I had already called for an ambulance, but when she passed, I rang again for a mortuary ambulance because I knew she was gone.

"She lasted about 40 seconds before passing away."

The 35-year-old was due to go to China with her young child today to visit her family for the first time in a decade.

"If she had lowered her head only a few inches, the wing mirror wouldn't have hit her.

"I had met her quite a few times in Post Office on Eden Quay because that's where I'd get paid. She was always very polite and mannerly. It's just such an awful tragedy and my sincere condolences go to her family."

HNEWS@HERALD.IE