A WOMAN has paid tribute to her late husband and children after a roadworks company was fined €1.2m over health and safety breaches that contributed to their deaths.
Geraldine Mullan was speaking outside Letterkenny District Court on Friday following the judgement against Whitemountain Quarries Limited, part of the Breedon Group.
In 2020, Ms Mullan lost her husband John, 49, son Tomás, 14, and six-year-old daughter Amelia after their car left the road and plunged into Lough Foyle.
"I want people to remember John, Tomás and Amelia for who they were — three extraordinary people who filled my life with love, laughter and happiness and made me the person I am," said Ms Mullan.
"They were everything to me and they always will be. I will carry them in my heart for the rest of my life."
Incident
On August 20, 2020, the family was returning to their home in Moville after a day out in Derry and were travelling along a section of road which had been undergoing surfacing work carried out by Whitemountain Quarries.
At around 10.30pm on the R238 at Three Trees, Quigley's point, the car's front passenger wheel dropped around 5cm from the carriageway onto the unfinished hard shoulder.
As Mr Mullan attempted to steer the car back onto the carriageway, the vehicle aquaplaned on the freshly laid surface and slid across the roadway into Lough Foyle.
Ms Mullan described being sucked from the vehicle after she tried to open a window and struggled in vain to rescue her family, who tragically drowned.
The court heard the roadworks had been postponed due to adverse weather and a company subcontracted to oversee a traffic management plan, including for out-of-hours traffic, was stood down.
Whitemountain Quarries indicated they would put out their own cones and markings but it was determined there was a lack of appropriate temporary traffic management signs and traffic cones to guide vehicles safely through the works.
The company pleaded guilty to offences under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 regarding failures to ensure the safety of road users, resulting in the deaths of Mr Mullan, Tomás and Amelia and injuries to Ms Mullan.
'My grief will never end'
Speaking outside court, Ms Mullan said her loved ones 'lost their voices on the night of our accident, so it is my privilege and responsibility to speak for all four of us in court'.
"Giving my victim impact statement last Friday was one of the hardest things I've ever done but I hope I did them proud," she said.
"No family should ever have to endure the heartbreak I live with every day.
"My grief will never end but I made a promise to John, Tomás and Amelia on the day I laid them to rest that I would never lose hope.
"I promised I would keep living life to the fullest, cherish every moment and honour their memory in everything I do. I intended to keep that promise.
"I want to sincerely thank everyone who has shown me kindness, love and support over these past six years. Your compassion has sustained me throughout the darkest days of my life.
"I am forever grateful to the emergency services who responded on the night of our accident.
"They rescued me in unimaginable circumstances and with the greatest dignity and care, recovered the bodies of my beloved John, Tomás and Amelia from the water so I could bring them home and lay them to rest."
She added: "While nothing can ever bring John, Tomás and Amelia back, I hope this marks the beginning of a new chapter where I can move forward while carrying them with me every day."
Ms Mullan also acknowledged an apology from Breedon Group CEO Declan Carr, saying it brought 'a measure of comfort and solace'.
"It can never undo what happened or bring back the three people I loved beyond words but hearing those words mattered," she added.
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