Man who ran over girlfriend's dad recalls horror

Ireland: A young man has revealed how his life was shattered in a freak tragedy - when he accidentally ran over his girlfriend’s father.

Michael Jackson and a friend were separately driving vans in County Mayo, Ireland, 3am on June 10 last year when he noticed something lying on the dark road ahead.

He tried to avoid it but felt a slight bump and continued on to Killala, reports the Irish Mirror.

When he pulled up, he noticed that the front bumper was damaged and his friend also recalled feeling a slight bump as he had followed behind Michael.

Both men immediately returned to where the incident had occurred and to their horror, they discovered a badly-injured man’s body on the road.

They called the emergency services and it wasn’t until several hours later that Michael was given the horrifying news the victim was Frankie Bonner, his partner Maggie’s dad.

A consultant pathologist told the 65-year-old’s inquest late last year that he had suffered multiple fatal injuries and that the alcohol level reading from his blood was high enough for him to go unconscious.

A garda said he didn’t know what happened to Mr Bonner before he was driven over but that he may have fallen over.

Michael said he had found it very hard to deal with.

He and his partner have now become the public face of a campaign to keep late-night revellers safe.

Jackson added: “It was pure shock. It was hard for the family and for the drivers too.

“I suppose people don’t usually consider the driver at such times, but it had a terrible effect on me.

"I know it wasn’t our fault and Maggie’s family were very good about it.

“I’m getting there now, but I’m still not able to drive at night on my own.

"If I see someone out on the road at night without a high-vis jacket I’ll just freeze.”

Both Michael Jackson and his friend tested negative for alcohol and, following a Garda investigation, the DPP decided against any prosecutions.

Michael and Maggie are now backing a campaign initiated by the Road Safety office of Mayo County Council to drive home the message for revellers to get a lift home or wear a high-vis jacket if they walk.

Michael added: “The important thing to remember from what happened to us is that if he had a high-vis jacket on that night we wouldn’t have hit him.”