Ireland Inquest returns accidental death verdict in Monkstown bus crash
On 3 August 2021 at 1.30pm, a Bus Éireann bus travelling along Strand Road in Monkstown, Co Cork, mounted the footpath, veered across the road, struck 72-year-old Fr Con Cronin, and crashed into five cars after the driver lost consciousness. Fr Cronin, originally from Bantry and attached to the harbour parishes of Monkstown and Passage West, died of blunt force trauma. The 51-year-old Bus Éireann driver Mark Wills, a father of two from Ballincollig, suffered a cardiac arrhythmia due to ventricular hypertrophy. At the inquest in Midleton on 21 March 2023, the jury returned a verdict of accidental death for Fr Cronin and death due to natural causes for Wills. The Coroner, Frank O'Connell, described the tragedy as highly unusual and a rare occurrence.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In court21 Mar
- Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- A Bus Éireann bus mounted the footpath, veered across the road, struck Fr Con Cronin, and crashed into five cars after the driver lost consciousness.
- Fr Con Cronin was a 72-year-old priest originally from Bantry, attached to the harbour parishes of Monkstown and Passage West.
- Mark Wills was a 51-year-old Bus Éireann driver and father of two from Ballincollig, Co Cork.
- Where
- The crash occurred on Strand Road in Monkstown, Co Cork.
- When
- The crash occurred on 3 August 2021 at 1.30pm.
- Cause
- Fr Cronin died of blunt force trauma with multiple fractures due to a road traffic collision.
- Mark Wills suffered a cardiac arrhythmia due to ventricular hypertrophy.
- In court
- The inquest was held in the Coroner's Court in Midleton, with Coroner Frank O'Connell for South Cork.
- The jury returned a verdict of accidental death for Fr Cronin.
- The jury returned a verdict of death due to natural causes, due to ventricular hypertrophy, for Mark Wills.
- Other details
- The Coroner described the tragedy as highly unusual and a rare occurrence.
16 statements extracted from the articles
- whatFr Con Cronin was 72 years old (rte.ie)
- whatThe bus mounted the footpath, veered across the road, struck Fr Cronin, and crashed into five cars (rte.ie)
- whatMark Wills was 51 years old and a father of two from Ballincollig, Co Cork (rte.ie)
- whatMark Wills was a Bus Éireann driver (rte.ie)
- whatMark Wills unequivocally met the standards laid down for Bus Éireann drivers (rte.ie)
- whereFr Con Cronin was originally from Bantry (rte.ie)
- whereFr Con Cronin was attached to the harbour parishes of Monkstown and Passage West in County Cork (rte.ie)
- whereThe bus was travelling along Strand Road in Monkstown (rte.ie)
- whenThe crash occurred on 3 August 2021 at 1.30pm (rte.ie)
- causeFr Cronin died of blunt force trauma with multiple fractures due to a road traffic collision (rte.ie)
- causeMark Wills suffered a cardiac arrhythmia due to ventricular hypertrophy (rte.ie)
- courtThe jury returned a verdict of accidental death for Fr Cronin (rte.ie)
- courtThe jury returned a verdict of death due to natural causes, due to ventricular hypertrophy, for Mark Wills (rte.ie)
- courtThe Coroner's Court was sitting in Midleton (rte.ie)
- courtThe Coroner for South Cork is Frank O'Connell (rte.ie)
- otherThe Coroner described the tragedy as highly unusual and a rare occurrence (rte.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 21 Mar2023Driver lost consciousness before crash, coroner hears
Inquest verdict returned: accidental death for Fr Con Cronin; natural causes (ventricular hypertrophy) for bus driver Mark Wills. Coroner described the tragedy as highly unusual and a rare occurrence.
victim, Fr Con Cronin, 72, male, irish (judged from name)Fr Con Croninvictim, Mark Wills, 51, male, irish (judged from name)Mark Wills