A Co Waterford girl who died after suffering a glancing blow from a van on her way home from school was “very, very unfortunate” to sustain such severe injuries, a coroner has said.
Dr Cróna Gallagher, presiding coroner at the sitting of Dublin District Coroner’s Court, observed that the collision was “very, very unfortunate”, and that “on another occasion, might have been fine”.
Aisling was travelling home on a bus driven by John O’Brien prior to the accident on the date in question. Around 4.30pm, Mr O’Brien told the inquest that he dropped Aisling off at a crossroads, on a straight section of the R671, close to her home. Another employee in the van, Mark Kelly, tended to Aisling. He told the inquest that he caught a “glancing look” at the teenager as the collision occurred.
Parademics, gardaí, an ambulance and helicopter all attended the scene. Garda Conor O’Donovan agreed that it was apparent from an early stage that the incident was a serious one.