Tragic rally crash recalled at inquest

Tragic rally crash recalled at inquest

7 October 2015

AN inquest into the death of a rally driver whose car plunged into a reservoir near Castlewellan nearly a year ago has heard about the events which led up to the terrifying incident.

Ryan Bradley was competing in the Down Rally on October 18 last year when his car left the road and crashed into Lough Island Reavey, less than two miles from the start of the rally.

During last week’s inquest, Mr Bradley’s co-driver Gerard Mullan spoke of his “devastation” as he recalled the moment when he knew the 28 year-old from Kilrea was dead.

Mr Mullan told the inquest that he believed the experienced rally car driver would “work his magic” and save them both as their Ford Escort care veered off the road.

The co-driver told of how the car left the road during the first stage of the race.

He continued: “As we travelled to the Lackan Road, looking back, he was carrying too much speed. I estimated Ryan was travelling at 70 to 80mph. In my view, the car didn’t make the corner. It went through the branches and into the water.

“I thought he was going to work his magic and it was going to be alright. Once the car hit the water I released my seat belt. I took a gulp of water and thought this is it. I got an opening in the passenger window. I thought I was going to die.”

An emotional Mr Mullan, who had been Mr Bradley’s navigator for 18 months, said once he got the car window open, he swam to a nearby bank.

“I called for Ryan but he wasn’t behind me,” he recalled, explaining he removed his helmet and threw it up a nearby bank onto the road to alert other rally car drivers coming along.

Mr Bradley said he and Mr Mullan were unaware of the reservoir on the rally route, despite his friend undertaking a circuit of it the day before the tragedy. The co-driver also raised concerns about the lack of a drivers’ briefing before the start of the race and said he had “never navigated a rally without one.”

He continued: “Ryan was very nervous that day. He was leading the championship and there was a lot of pressure on us. There was not much chat from him and we made our way to the start line. I knew he was tense. I was tense as well but you try not to let the person know that.

“We knew what we had to do. We didn’t need to discuss it. We just let it happen. We never had a strategy, we just did what we did — we didn’t plan it.”

Mr Bradley’s girlfriend Gemma McGarry told the inquest how she accompanied Ryan “to do a recce” of the course the day before the race.

“We travelled the stage about 20mph and I added into the notes anything that Ryan told me. I don’t remember seeing the reservoir and Ryan didn’t mention it. We completed the recce and he didn’t have any issues about any of the stages.”

Gemma said on hearing of the crash it never crossed her mind that her boyfriend was dead, explaining “at this stage we still thought it was a rescue rather than a recovery.”

She added: “My whole world fell apart that day. Ryan was everything to me. He was my future and my soul mate. Ryan was putting money away for a ring and we had set a date for August 2017. Even to this day I still can’t take it in.”

Ryan Magennis, a specialist rescue technician with the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, said the car was found “resting on its driver’s side in the reservoir.” He explained normal firefighters were prohibited from entering the water as the vehicle was too submerged.

Mr Magennis said the Fire and Rescue team used a raft to search the water and found the car, making attempts to try to open the door from above the water but “unfortunately that was not successful.”

During the inquest an issue was raised concerning a report into the incident which is to be compiled by the sports governing body — the Motor Sport Association (MSA) — being made available to be considered by the hearing.

The inquest was adjourned to a future date to allow time for the MSA report to be completed and considered by the coroner Brian Sherrard.