AN elderly Falcarragh woman suffered a cardiac episode before crashing into a wall on her way home from meeting a friend, an inquest into her death heard.
Keyna Barrett (86) late of Moyra Glebe, Falcarragh, Donegal and formerly of Salthill, Galway died following a single vehicle road traffic collision at Ballina on the N56 on April 23, 2024.
An inquest into Mrs Barrett’s death was held at Letterkenny courthouse on Friday last by Coroner Dr Denis McCauley.
Sergeant Jim Collins read into the inquest a statement from Stephen Doohan, who lives on the main N56 road, at Falcarragh on the Gortahork side.
Mr Doohan was in his home when he heard a noise outside, which he initially thought was a construction lorry banging on the road. He didn’t react to the noise. A 1.26pm, Mr Doohan’s mobile rang and the caller informed him that someone had hit the wall outside his home.
“I went outside and I saw a silver car had crashed into my stone wall. I could see an elderly lady who I knew to be Keyna Barrett in the driver’s seat. Her head was back and she was not moving. I opened the front passenger door and I could see the airbags had deployed. I saw blood coming from Keyna’s nose and she was very pale. I immediately started CPR. I could find no sign of pulse,” Mr Doohan’s statement cited.
A community first responder and later paramedics worked on Mrs Barrett. A pulse was detected and she was conveyed to hospital but sadly died a short time later.
Mrs Barrett’s son, John, formally identified the body of his mother at Letterkenny University Hospital.
A technical examination of Mrs Barrett’s car was carried out by Garda PSV Inspector Damian Mulkearns.
He noted that the vehicle steering and tyres were in good, serviceable condition and that the airbags had been deployed. The driver seatbelt had been worn at the time of impact.
A statement from Garda Forensic Investigator, Sergeant Gerard McCauley, said he attended the scene and that from examinations, the car had veered gradually to the opposite side of the road and that there had been no sign of speed or acceleration.
He added that the car had hit a kerb and then hit a wall before resting at a 90 degree angle, saying the rotation happened when Mrs Barrett’s car struck the wall.
Histopathologist Dr Gerry O’Dowd, Letterkenny University Hospital, read into the inquest the findings of the postmortem examination on the body of Mrs Barrett. She had bruising from a seatbelt injury, and she sustained multiple rib fractures. However, Dr O’Dowd stressed that the rib fractures would not be uncommon in an elderly person who had undergone numerous resuscitation attempts.
He said Mrs Barrett had severe coronary disease and high blood pressure.
Coroner Dr Denis McCauley said it was highly likely Mrs Barrett had encountered a cardiac event which led her to lose control of the vehicle and hit the wall.
He said that the cause of death was Acute Coronary Syndrome, adding that Mrs Barrett died of natural causes.
Dr McCauley pointed out that Mrs Barrett’s death will not be recorded as a road traffic death but as a natural death, adding that she would have been unconscious at the time of the collision.
He thanked all those who came to Mrs Barrett’s aid, describing their response as “valiant”.
Sergeant Jim Collins extended his condolences to Mrs Barrett’s family on behalf of An Garda Síochána.
