A KILLARNEY inquest has heard how a heroic truck driver narrowly escaped death, fighting intense heat as he attempted to extinguish a flaming vehicle in which two young Castleisland men died tragically.

Donie O'Sullivan, of Kerry Petroleum, was the first to arrive at the horrific scene at Lawlor's Cross shortly after midnight on last August 13, inquests into the deaths of 19-year-old Timothy Reidy, Kilcow, and his 21-year-old passenger Peter Galwey, Fahaduff, heard on Monday.

The deaths of the two popular Castleisland men caused shockwaves in Kerry last summer due to the scale of the impact and its aftermath on what was described as a dry night in which road surfaces were wet.

Assistant State Pathologist Margot Bolster found that both men died from traumatic intracerebral haemorrhaging and burns resulting from a high speed single vehicle crash at Lawlor's Cross. The vehicle, a silver 1994 Vauxhall, had been seen at College Street, Killarney, 15 minutes earlier and the victims had been returning home when the car hit a wall to its left on the exit from a bend leading into an area known locally as Leane's straight.

Mr O'Sullivan described how the road had seemed on fire with a trail of flames stretching across the road and his first reaction was to fight the flames through the partially open front window of the vehicle using a fire extinguisher taken from his truck.

As he ran back to his truck to collect a second fire extinguisher, the car exploded with the bodies trapped unconscious inside.

Mr O'Sullivan said the vehicle had earlier passed him at "in a normal manner" travelling at a speed in the region of 100kmph.

Local resident Diarmuid Cronin said he believed the car crashed at speed because as he did not hear the car change down a gear on approach to the bend. "I knew from the sound of the car it was powerful and was moving on," the inquest heard.

Two fire brigade units were despatched and gardaí and fire crews remained at the scene until 11.30am. The men were pronounced dead at 1.20am. Last Rites administered at the scene and the men's remains were removed at 9.30am and later identified by dental records.

A toxicology report found that they contained no trace of alcohol or prescribed drugs and the victims died from extensive burning and trauma caused by the impact.

Coroner Terence Casey, who had attended the scene, said that while there was a possibility that both men may have been alive for a short time following the impact, it was highly likely that they were unconscious and felt no pain. He stated that there had been no sign they had tried to get out of the burning car and this supported his assumption that they were unconscious.

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death for Peter Galwey and death by misadventure concerning driver Timothy Reidy. The coroner explained that misadventure referred to a deliberate but lawful human act whilst accidental meant that there was no human contribution to the incident.

Following the verdict, Mr Casey said that speed had been a factor resulting in the driver losing control of his vehicle on the bend and said that speed limiters could be an option after speeding was deemed a major factor.

"It is unfortunate and it happens all too often in this country," the coroner stated and he expressed his concern that young men were driving powerful cars and did not fully appreciate the dangers.

"I wonder if the law should change so that speed limiters could be attached to cars driven by young men. On the other hand maybe this is dangerous in that it prevents proper overtaking," he said.

Superintendent Michael Maher praised the actions of Donie O'Sullivan stating that he had done everything in his power to assist the victims. Mr Casey also praised the work of the fire services and gardaí in what was described as a horrific job.

- KEVIN HUGHES khughes@kerryman.ie