Driver heart broken following partner’s death

Driver heartbroken following partner’s death


Anton McNulty
antonmcnulty@mayonews.ie

A ROSCOMMON man who lost control of his car following a ‘black-out’ resulting in the death of his partner of 23 years recalled how he was left with a ‘broken heart and memories’.
Anne Parker (65), an artist of 20 Corskeagh, Frenchpark, Castlerea, Co Roscommon died in Mayo General Hospital following a road traffic accident when the car her partner, Des Cunnane, was driving went out of control and struck a wall on November 25, 2011.
The accident happened along the N5 in Frenchpark Village at approximately 4.10pm when Mr Cunnane failed to negotiate a bend and collided with a wall at a junction. Mr Cunnane told the inquest into Ms Parker’s death that he didn’t remember anything about the accident and the only thing he remembers was hitting the airbag.
Substantial damage was caused to the car and Ms Parker and Mr Cunnane were both taken to Mayo General Hospital. Ms Parker was pronounced dead at 5.36pm and a post-mortem showed she died from massive abdominal haemorrhaging due to the laceration of the aorta following a fracture to the lumbar spine.
An examination of the car found it was roadworthy and a conclusion of the investigation found that something must have happened to Mr Cunnane to cause him to veer across the white line and collide with the wall.
A verdict of accidental death was recorded by a jury and sympathy was extended to the family of Ms Parker.

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