An inquest into the circumstances of a 57-year-old Navan man’s death in a road accident two days after Christmas in 2024 was conducted at Trim Courthouse by Coroner for Meath Nathaniel Lacy. The inquest was told how , St Mary’s park, Navan and formerly of Boyne Road, Navan died following the accident at Flower Hill on 27 th December. Garda Mark Bartley Fitzgerald, Navan Garda Station told the inquest that he was on patrol with Garda Killian McGloin when at about 22.38 hours he was made aware of the incident at Flower Hill.
He had received information that a pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle. Arriving at the scene he observed a male whom he now knew as Greg Lynch aged 57 on the road outside the Bella Rio Restaurant. A member of the public was attempting CPR. The Garda said he then took over CPR from the person but found that Mr Lynch had no pulse and was not breathing. He continued CPR while the National Ambulance Service prepared equipment. A member of the fire and rescue service then took over CPR from him. The Garda said Mr Lynch was wearing dark clothing.
The late Greg Lynch.
He also found a man sitting in the doorway of the restaurant and he was being attended to by rescue personnel. The 60-year-old male, who appeared to be shaken, said he was the driver of the vehicle that struck Mr Lynch. The man returned a negative reading for alcohol or drugs when tested. Garda Bartley Fitzgerald said Mr Lynch was pronounced at the scene. The deputy coroner for Meath Donna Kerrigan was contacted and the circumstances of the incident explained to her. She then gave permission for Mr Lynch’s body to be removed to Navan mortuary for a post mortem to be conducted. The following day Mr Lynch’s body was identified to the Garda by Mr Lynch’s sister Gillian.
The Garda said the Director of Public Prosecutions had not directed that a prosecution take place. Forensic Collision Investigator Garda John Coughlan told the inquest that he had investigated the scene of the accident on the following morning. He said there was street lighting in the area but a number of lights at the scene location were not working. At the time of the collision the car involved was travelling up Flower Hill while Mr Lynch had been walking along the left hand footpath heading in Slane direction. In the seconds pre-collision Mr Lynch fell from the footpath and landed on the left lane. The Garda said Mr Lynch lay there for 19 seconds before coming in contact with the car. Mr Lynch was wearing dark clothing with just small reflectors on the outside and back of his runners.
Speed analysis of the car involved, a Renault Fluence, showed that in the 12.4 metres up to the “no entry” sign on Flower Hill, the car at 43.4kph. and 45.5kph. There was no evidence of pre-collision braking of the car and CCTV showed that the car side braked just 1.5 seconds after initial impact in the collision. Street lighting on the night created dark areas on the road. One of these dark areas was where Mr Lynch fell onto the road. Lighting along Poolbeg Bridge and up to the collision locus was measured on 29 th December and found to range between 88 and 147 lux along the bridge and it lowered 5.3 lux at the collision locus, the Garda said.
The car was found to be in roadworthy condition with no defects. In answer to the coroner as to why there was no braking of the car pre-collision the Garda agreed that the driver would not be able to differentiate between a dark object and a dark road. Asked by a member of deceased’s family why the lights of the car would not light up the road the Garda said it might light up the road but might not give the driver time to observe the visual contrast of the dark object lying on the dark object. He said the driver might not have seen the person for the full 19 seconds.
Consultant pathologist Professor Muna Sabah said Mr Lynch had suffered multiple injuries. The blood/alcohol level was 302 per cent. Death would have been instantaneous, she said. The corner returned a verdict of misadventure and that Mr Lynch had died from thoracic and abdominal injuries consistent with a road traffic accident. He said that Mr Lynch had not intended to die that night but tragically that was what happened. He and Garda Inspector Alan Roughneen extended their sympathy to the family of the deceased.
