An eight-year-old boy from Co Monaghan died in hospital after being seriously injured while riding a “dangerously defective” quad bike, an inquest has heard.
Finn McGrath, from Dunaree, Laragh, Castleblayney, was airlifted to hospital after the crash, but died at Children’s Health Ireland at Temple Street, Dublin, on August 3rd, 2024.
Garda Kevin Jones, a trained mechanic who examines vehicles involved in collisions, appeared at Dublin District Coroner’s Court to describe the condition of the quad bike, a Kawasaki Mule.
He said neither of the boys on the quad were wearing seat belts at the time and that the front breaks were not functioning.
A new handbrake had been installed in the previous six months, which could operate the back breaks, but Jones said stopping the vehicle in that manner was also dangerous. After test driving the vehicle, he said he noted the overall braking performance was poor and that there was a “serious defect” with the steering.
While the maximum speed of the quad bike would have been 16-24km/h (10-15mp/h), Jones said it was seriously unstable.
When asked by coroner Clare Keane what the biggest issue with the quad bike was, Jones said it was the steering defect.
In conclusion, he said the wheels appeared safe but the vehicle was “dangerously defective” and unstable, particularly when turning corners.
Garda Phillip Smith, of Carrickmacross Garda station, told the inquest he saw Finn McGrath lying on the ground after being trapped and pushed into a gate when the quad overturned.
He said CPR was being performed on the boy when he arrived at the scene and that he was airlifted to hospital at 6.52pm.
A medical report noted how Finn McGrath sustained fatal crush injuries in the incident. He suffered from cardiac arrest and was initially stabilised, with an MRI scan scheduled. However, the inquest heard he died due to a lack of oxygen to the brain.
The coroner noted that four children had been helped by the donation of the boy’s heart, kidneys and liver. She recorded a verdict of misadventure.