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<\/p>\nThe inquest heard a doctor formally pronounced the taxi driver dead at the scene of the collision at 1.10am on March 14, 2024<\/p>\n
Aidan O\u2019Brien.(Image: RIP.ie)<\/p>\n
A taxi driver killed in a collision on the M4 near Kilcock, Co Kildare two years ago was over eight times above the legal drink driving limit, an inquest <\/a>has heard.<\/p>\n Aidan O\u2019Brien (49) from Ballynanum, Edenderry, Co Offaly suffered fatal injuries in the crash on the westbound carriageway of the M4 just near Junction 8 shortly before midnight on March 13, 2024.<\/p>\n A sitting of Kildare Coroner\u2019s Court heard the white 151-D reg Toyota Prius being driven by Mr O\u2019Brien crashed into a motorway barrier between the off-ramp for Kilcock and the hard shoulder at 11.26pm.<\/p>\n It resulted in the vehicle coming to a stop in the overtaking lane of the motorway before it was struck from behind by a Volkswagen Caddy van around eight minutes later.<\/p>\n The crash pushed the deceased\u2019s taxi onto the grass verge in the median of the M4, while the other vehicle came to a stop on the inside lane of the motorway.<\/p>\n Garda James Keating , a PSV inspector of Naas Station pictured leaving the Kildare Coroner’s Court. (Image: Colin Keegan, Collins, Dublin)<\/p>\n Motorist, Thomas Murray.<\/p>\n A forensic collision investigator, Garda John Coughlan, said the road surface at the time of the incident was wet and it was raining with some motorists reporting reduced visibility.<\/p>\n The inquest <\/a>heard contradictory evidence from two witnesses as to whether there were rear lights visible on the taxi while it was stopped on the motorway.<\/p>\n However, Garda Coughlan said it was not possible to check if the lights had been working due to the extent of the damage to the Toyota Prius.<\/p>\n A public service vehicle inspector, Garda James Keating, told the hearing that although his examination of the taxi was considerably hampered by the extensive damage caused to the vehicle, he did not think anything contributed to the accident \u201cother than driver error.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Garda Keating said there was an anomaly with the front tyre on the passenger side of the vehicle as it had slightly shorter height and sidewall measurements.<\/p>\n The inspector said the mismatch of tyres could cause serious instability to the vehicle which might be considered dangerously defective under Section 54 of the Road Traffic Act 1961.<\/p>\n In reply to questions from the coroner, Loretta Nolan, the witness agreed that the vehicle would be unlikely to pass a NCT test in such a condition.<\/p>\n However, Garda Keating accepted that the smaller tyre could be considered a \u201creasonable temporary measure\u201d which might have been fitted in error.<\/p>\n He also found no mechanical defects with the 211-KK reg Volkswagen Caddy which also suffered significant damage to the front of the vehicle.<\/p>\n The inquest <\/a>heard that driver of the van, Thomas Murray, provided breath and saliva samples to garda\u00ed which tested negative for alcohol and drugs.<\/p>\n In a statement, Garda Laura Fingleton said Mr Murray was in shock but otherwise suffered no physical injuries.<\/p>\n In evidence, Mr Murray said he was driving in the overtaking lane of the M4 while returning from an Irish Farmers\u2019 Association meeting to his home in Clonard, Co Meath.<\/p>\n He described how a car in front of him swerved into the other lane but he was unable to avoid crashing into another vehicle that appeared to be stopped on the motorway.<\/p>\n Mr Murray said his van came to a stop on the inside lane and he ran behind a barrier until he realised he had left his phone in the vehicle.<\/p>\n He said he went to check on the driver of the Toyota Prius who appeared unresponsive.<\/p>\n Forensic collision investigator, Garda John Coughlan. <\/p>\n Martina O’Brien, sister of the late Aidan O’Brien pictured leaving the Kildare Coroner’s Court. <\/p>\n However, Mr Murray said he was shaking too much to be able to check the other motorist\u2019s pulse.<\/p>\n As vehicles were still passing the scene at speed, he said he went back behind the barrier until the emergency services arrived.<\/p>\n Garda Mark Connolly said Mr O\u2019Brien was unresponsive and showed no sign of life with blood coming from the top of his head, while he was also \u201cmechanically trapped\u201d in the vehicle.<\/p>\n The inquest <\/a>heard a doctor formally pronounced the taxi driver dead at the scene of the collision at 1.10am on March 14, 2024.<\/p>\n Garda Connolly outlined how he also recovered two mobile phones and a bottle of J\u00e4germeister from the vehicle.<\/p>\n Another motorist, David Leonard, who was driving home to Sligo from Dublin Airport, said he had his cruise control speed set at 120km\/h when he noticed a car ahead of him in the overtaking lane near the exit for Kilcock.<\/p>\n Mr Leonard said he initially thought the vehicle was moving slowly and expected it would move into the left lane as he approached it from behind.<\/p>\n However, he quickly noticed when he was \u201cnearly on top of the car\u201d that it was stationary, almost as if it was \u201cneatly parked.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr Leonard said he immediately took evasive action by swinging into the left lane.<\/p>\n As he passed the Toyota Prius, he recalled seeing a male in the driver\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n Mr Leonard said he saw another car in the overtaking lane a few seconds behind him who did not swerve and crashed into the taxi.<\/p>\n The witness said he did not stop his vehicle as he felt it was unsafe to do so but contacted garda\u00ed later after reading about the incident on the RT\u00c9 News app.<\/p>\n Another driver, Patrick Kelly, who came on the scene, described how he parked his vehicle on the hard shoulder and turned on his hazard lights before going back up the motorway to check on both drivers and to alert the emergency services.<\/p>\n Mr Kelly said he knew immediately the driver of the Toyota Prius was dead.<\/p>\n He said he also tried to alert other motorists to the accident as \u201csomeone else was going to get killed\u201d because they would not see the collision until they were \u201cright on top of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Relatives of Mr O\u2019Brien thanked the witness for his actions and observed that he had probably saved other lives that night.<\/p>\n The deceased\u2019s sister, Martina O\u2019Brien, gave evidence of formally identifying her brother\u2019s body to garda\u00ed.<\/p>\n Dr Nolan said the results of a postmortem showed a blood alcohol concentration of 406mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. The legal limit for fully licensed motorists is 50mg.<\/p>\n The coroner said it was one of the highest readings she had seen in recent years.<\/p>\n At that level of alcohol, Dr Nolan said Mr O\u2019Brien was at risk of losing consciousness and dying from the effect of alcohol on its own.<\/p>\n She said a toxicology test on the deceased\u2019s urine had provided an even higher reading.<\/p>\n The coroner attributed the cause of death to multiple traumatic injuries due to a road traffic collision as a result of acute ethanol intoxication.<\/p>\n Returning a verdict of death by misadventure, Dr Nolan said it was possible that Mr O\u2019Brien was already unconscious at the time of both impacts with his vehicle.<\/p>\n The coroner offered her condolences to the driver\u2019s family and noted it was \u201ca very difficult way to lose a life.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to see more of the stories you love from the Irish Mirror? 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