A bus driver ferrying cast and crew filming a television advertisement at a disused quarry in Wicklow died following a fall, an inquest heard.
Jimmy Devlin, who was working for Ardmore Studios in October 2015, stepped out of his minibus when it became snagged on a piece of pipe on a laneway at Kilmacurragh Quarry in Co Wicklow
“The pipe was in the middle of the road and one wheel went over it and the other wouldn’t. He got snagged on the pipe and got out and then tumbled over,” a crew member said.
The crew had earlier filmed a stunt in which an actor jumped off the edge into the quarry and were returning in darkness to their accommodation 10 miles away.
The road was badly lit, Dublin Coroner’s Court heard. Following his fall, Mr Devlin got back into the minibus to drive the crew home despite pleas from production staff.
‘Bang on the head’
He drove two people to Dún Laoghaire and continued home to Woodbrook Lawn in Bray. When he got home at about 8.45pm he told his wife that he had got a "bang on the head".
“He complained of a pain in his head. I suggested we go to hospital but he refused,” his wife, Muriel told the inquest. Next morning, however, she found him unconscious. He was rushed to St Vincent’s hospital.
A CT scan revealed a large leakage of blood causing pressure in the brain. Family were told that no surgical intervention could change Mr Devlin’s prognosis. He died on October 19th .
Health and safety inspector David O'Connell said a file was submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions and no charges were directed. Mr Devlin's death was due to acute subdural haematoma due to trauma due to a fall.
He had been taking warfarin as a blood thinner following a triple bypass and was therefore more prone to bleeding, the court heard. The jury returned a verdict of misadventure.