Inquest finds alcohol may have been factor in pier tragedy

Post mortem results for the driver of the car involved in the Buncrana pier tragedy show he may have been three times over the drink driving limit.
A pathologist who examined Sean McGrotty’s body says the results of the post mortem indicate there may have been an element of intoxication.
 
Pathologist Dr. Catriona Dillon told an inquest into the deaths of five members of the one family that alcohol may have been a factor.
On examining the body she found 159 milligrams per decimetre of alcohol in Mr McGrotty’s blood.
The legal limit is 50 milligrams per decimetre.
The pathologist told the inquest she couldn’t indicate if the alcohol impaired Mr McGrotty’s driving as it depended on a number of factors including whether he was a habitual drinker.
But she said the levels of alcohol found may indicate an element of intoxication involved.
Mr McGrotty was behind the wheel when his car entered the water at Buncrana pier last year, in an incident that saw him, his two sons, their grandmother and her daughter to lose their lives.