shirl
05-16-2008, 11:19 AM
By Brian McDonald
Friday May 16 2008
A young medical student fell to his death when he mistakenly thought he was being pursued by gardai and jumped over a wall without realising there was an 18-foot drop on the other side.
Ciaran Toomey (http://www.independent.ie/topics/Ciaran+Toomey) (18), of Ardnacrusha, Co Clare (http://www.independent.ie/topics/County+Clare), had scored 575 points in his Leaving Cert and was a talented all-round sportsman.
He won a place at NUI Galway (http://www.independent.ie/topics/National+University+of+Ireland%2c+Galway) and did not even have to enter pre-med because of his Leaving Cert results -- going straight into first year.
But early on November 6 last he was returning home from a night out with two friends when he met his death.
Ciaran had run into a car park in the city centre at about 2.40am and knocked over a wheelie bin. Moments later a garda van on routine patrol came up behind the trio.
All three initially thought they were in trouble and began to run. But the gardai had put their antics down to late-night high jinks and drove past the two friends.
Ciaran was about 30 yards ahead and disappeared into another car park at Newtownsmyth as his friends called out to him that there was no need to worry.
UCD student Andrew Flood (http://www.independent.ie/topics/Andrew+Flood) said they could not find Ciaran and tried to call his mobile phone. There was no response. They searched the city and even contacted the gardai to see if he had been arrested, but could not trace him.
The two friends slept for a couple of hours and resumed the search early in the morning.
That afternoon they all met up close to the car park where he was last seen. Ciaran's body was then spotted at the bottom of a ravine or canal bed on the other side of the car-park wall where construction work was taking place. He had died instantly.
Gardai who were in the patrol van when Ciaran started running told the inquest that they had no reason to stop any of the students as none of them had done anything untoward.
Pathologist Dr Teresa McHale said the cause of death was extensive head and spinal injuries.
Friday May 16 2008
A young medical student fell to his death when he mistakenly thought he was being pursued by gardai and jumped over a wall without realising there was an 18-foot drop on the other side.
Ciaran Toomey (http://www.independent.ie/topics/Ciaran+Toomey) (18), of Ardnacrusha, Co Clare (http://www.independent.ie/topics/County+Clare), had scored 575 points in his Leaving Cert and was a talented all-round sportsman.
He won a place at NUI Galway (http://www.independent.ie/topics/National+University+of+Ireland%2c+Galway) and did not even have to enter pre-med because of his Leaving Cert results -- going straight into first year.
But early on November 6 last he was returning home from a night out with two friends when he met his death.
Ciaran had run into a car park in the city centre at about 2.40am and knocked over a wheelie bin. Moments later a garda van on routine patrol came up behind the trio.
All three initially thought they were in trouble and began to run. But the gardai had put their antics down to late-night high jinks and drove past the two friends.
Ciaran was about 30 yards ahead and disappeared into another car park at Newtownsmyth as his friends called out to him that there was no need to worry.
UCD student Andrew Flood (http://www.independent.ie/topics/Andrew+Flood) said they could not find Ciaran and tried to call his mobile phone. There was no response. They searched the city and even contacted the gardai to see if he had been arrested, but could not trace him.
The two friends slept for a couple of hours and resumed the search early in the morning.
That afternoon they all met up close to the car park where he was last seen. Ciaran's body was then spotted at the bottom of a ravine or canal bed on the other side of the car-park wall where construction work was taking place. He had died instantly.
Gardai who were in the patrol van when Ciaran started running told the inquest that they had no reason to stop any of the students as none of them had done anything untoward.
Pathologist Dr Teresa McHale said the cause of death was extensive head and spinal injuries.