Mother says oil spill was cause of accident

Mother says oil spill was cause of accident

20 January 2016

THE mother of a 20 year-old Downpatrick man, tragically killed in a three-car crash, says she continues to believe an oil spill caused her son’s death.

Monday’s inquest into the death of Jack Murnin found there were several factors behind the fatal collision on the Strangford Road on December 22, 2014, but that a suspected oil leak from a tractor could not be proved.

On his way to meet a friend for lunch in Strangford, it is believed Jack lost control of his Rover MG on a right-hand bend by the Lisboy Road junction and collided with two other vehicles.

He died shortly afterwards from chest injuries.

It was the second tragedy for the family after Jack’s father died in a road crash 15 years earlier.

Oil had been found by police on the road after Jack’s crash, and there was an appeal for witnesses, but it could not be proven the oil was there before the collision, or who was responsible.

The findings were delivered by coroner Brian Sherrard in Downpatrick Court, who heard forensic evidence of a “multi-cause” crash.

Damp road conditions, a rear tyre in poor condition and the speed of the car as it came round the tight corner were the reasons for the crash “on the balance of probabilities”, according to Mr Sherrard. He said evidence could not prove the oil was there before the crash, but added that he “could not exclude that possibility”.

However, the inquest also heard Jack was driving within the speed limit on the country road, at around 50mph, and that the tyre referred to as defective by a forensic officer was considered legal by police officers who also inspected the vehicle.

The inquest also heard two tractors had driven through the area that day but it was not known precisely when.

One had driven to the scene after the accident that afternoon, but was redirected by police.

After oil was noticed on the ground following the accident, police inspections of tractors on farms took place but no evidence of oil leaks was found.

Under cross-examination one police specialist acknowledged the tractors may have needed to be running for any leak to be uncovered.

A week after the crash, at a police cordon set up around the crash site, police stopped a tractor found to be leaking oil and it was impounded. No connection, however, was made to the accident.

Speaking after the inquest ruling, Jack’s mother, Pauline Murnin, said she still strongly believed oil leaking from a tractor was to blame for his death.

“I know that there was oil on the road, it was on social media the week before,” she said.

She added: “Four other drivers between Jack’s death and New Year’s Eve skidded on that corner. Three of them came to me.”

Mrs Murnin said she was frustrated by the lack of certainty in the coroner’s findings but was pleased her son was cleared of any speeding.

“I am glad it came out that he was not speeding,” she said. “A lot of people would have thought — another young fellow, a boy racer. My son was not a boy racer.”

Mrs Murnin said Jack was a keen motocross rider who used a nearby motocross track if he ever wanted to build up speed, and said his father’s death at the hands of a drink-driver when he was just six years-old meant he was careful driver.

She said the tragedy had even inspired him to join the police and that he had successfully completed several of the entry exams.

“At six years old he remembers the police being there,” she said. “He remembers every single thing. He knows what it is like to have somebody call at your door and tell you your daddy is not coming home. He knew in his heart he could tell somebody that and maybe make it a bit easier for them.

“He got one of the highest marks. I told him he needed a wee bit more life experience. He was starting to enjoy life.”

Describing her son as a “computer whizz kid”, she said he ran a small business repairing phones and other equipment as well as working as barman in the Lobster Pot in Strangford.

Despite his talents with technology, and having previously been offered a job by Google, working with the police and eventually owning his own bar and restaurant were part of his long-term plans.

“Everybody loved my son,” she added. “Once you met Jack you never forgot him. He was special, a special fellow.

“He was a big gentle giant. I used to tell him every day he was gorgeous and he knew it. He just loved himself and he loved life. 

“He was only starting to enjoy his life. It took years to get over his daddy.”