THE INQUESTS into the deaths of four young men from west Donegal who lost their lives in a horrific car crash was heard in Letterkenny today.
Friends Daniel Scott, Gortahork, Mícheál Roarty, Dunlewey, John Harley and Shaun Harkin, both from Falcarragh were killed on January 27, 2019 when the car they were travelling in went off the road in the townland of Gleannhulaigh near Gortahork. The vehicle became airborne and travelled more than twenty metres before landing on its roof.
Shaun Harkin, Micheal Roarty, John Harley and Daniel Scott.
The driver, 23-year-old Daniel Scott, was six times over the drink driving limit and had cocaine in his system. Forensic investigators estimated that the vehicle had been travelling at a speed of 120 km/hr on the narrow road which has an 80 km/hr speed limit.
Post-mortems on all four men found that they died from multiple injuries sustained from the crash, primarily head injuries.
The friends had been drinking together in Dixon’s Bar, Meenlaragh before they left together in Scott’s car. Mícheál Roarty and John Harley were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.
After hearing the evidence Coroner Dr Denis McCauley said: “I would describe this as an accident associated with a certain amount of risk that was taken on the day that would have contributed to the accident happening so therefore we would call it misadventure.”
Dr McCauley made an appeal for people to think long and hard about the devastation caused by fatal road collisions. He said these were four close friends who had gone out to enjoy themselves and made decisions that had a dreadful outcome.
“These incidents have a ripple effect in the local community,” he said.
“I would ask people to be careful. The lads made decisions and it did not work out for them.”
The Coroner commended the professionalism and the empathy of the Gardai on the night.
Inspector Seamus McGonigle extended his sincere sympathies to the families on the “tragic loss of such fine young men in the prime of their lives.”