Death of biker on Wild Atlantic Way tour a ’genuine accident’, inquest says - Donegal Daily

A motorcyclist on a tour of the Wild Atlantic Way was killed in a “genuine accident” in west Donegal, an inquest has heard. Biker Harold Tugwell was just two da...

A motorcyclist on a tour of the Wild Atlantic Way was killed in a “genuine accident” in west Donegal, an inquest has heard.

Biker Harold Tugwell was just two days out from the scheduled completion of the tour on his beloved BMW R 1200 GS when he was involved in a road traffic collision on September 11, 2024.

Mr Tugwell, who was 62 and of Ivy Road Farm, Lightfoot Lane, Higher Bartle, Preston, UK died in the collision on the R257 at Bunbeg at around 2.50pm.

An inquest into Mr Tugwell’s death was heard by Donegal Coroner Dr Denis McCauley at Letterkenny courthouse.

Mr Tugwell had a GoPro camera affixed on his helmet and investigators were able to watch the footage.

A deposition from Mr Donal Curran, a postman, was read into the inquest. Mr Curran recalled a “large touring bike” traveling past him as he was emptying a postbox.

After returning to his van, Mr Curran was driving towards Bunbeg when several cars flashed their lights at him.

He slowed down and saw a bike laying on the ground and recognised it as the same bike that had passed him previously.

He reported that a part of the engine was out of the motorcycle and some people were around a man, who was on the ground.

The deposition of Ms Deborah Tugwell, the wife of the deceased man, was also read into the inquest. She recalled a conversation on the phone with her husband at 8pm the previous evening.

At 11.30am on the day of the collision, the couple texted each other for around 15 minutes while Mr Tugwell was stopped in Laghey. He had left Preston on September 4 and planned to complete a tour of the Wild Atlantic Way.

He visited family in Kinsale along the way and had booked into a B&B for the night of September 11. He was due to return to Preston two days later.

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Ms Tugwell did not hear from her husband on the evening of September 11 and they always had an evening call. She attempted to ring her husband’s phone the next morning, but then took a call from Garda Mark Dorrian, who informed her that her husband had been involved in a fatal road traffic collision.

Garda Dorrian told the inquest how he received a call at 2.52pm on September 11 in relation to a single-vehicle road traffic collision involving a motorcycle. Garda Dorrian arrived at the scene six minutes later and a number of people had commenced CPR.

An advanced paramedic arrived and pronounced Mr Tugwell dead at 3.10pm. A wallet, which contained a driving licence, and a mobile phone, were located in a coat which was worn by the deceased man, while Gardai also located a helmet camera close to the motorcycle.

Garda Rosarie Monagle, a scenes of crime investigator, and Garda Damien Mulkearns, a PSV inspector, arrived while Fr Brian O Fearraigh administered the Last Rites before Mr Tugwell’s body was removed to the mortuary at Letterkenny University Hospital.

Garda Dorrian leased with Interpol and the Greater Manchester Police, but was initially unable to get into contact with the deceased’s next of kin.

The following morning, Garda Dorrian spoke to Mr Tugwell’s wife and informed her what had happened.

On September 14, Mrs Tugwell formally identified the body of her husband at Letterkenny University Hospital.

Dr Hajnalka Gyorffy confirmed to the inquest that Mr Tugwell did not have any noticeable medical history. After hearing medical evidence from Dr Gyorffy, Coroner Dr Denis McCauley said that Mr Tugwell would have died “very quickly” and would not have been aware of anything.

A deposition from Garda Mulkearns was read into the inquest which confirmed that the motorcycle was properly maintained and in a serviceable pre-accident condition.

Dr McCauley said it was clear from the camera footage that Mr Tugwell wasn’t speeding at the time. The footage showed that he was travelling at an average of 60km/h and there was also no reason for the collision on what the Coroner said was “an awkward bend”.

He said that the sun, which Mr Tugwell was driving into, may have been an issue, but “there was nothing to confirm this.”

“It was just an accident,” Dr McCauley said. “He just misjudged the corner.”

Dr McCauley added that Mr Tugwell was not being foolhardy and there was nothing wrong with his bike.

He said that Mr Tugwell died of multiple injuries as a result of a road traffic collision.