Widower still waiting for signage after fatal crash at Kerry's Gap of Dunloe
Janet Price died last May. Her husband, Don Theiler, said that having to wait 14 months for an inquest was “far, far too long”.
Janet, a 69-year-old grandmother and his wife of 15 years, had been ahead of him as they cycled down the Gap towards Kate Kearney’s Cottage.
“There was a lot of traffic and at one point, Janet was ahead of me... and went around a very, very sharp corner and when I got around the corner I saw her lying underneath a farm vehicle, a truck or Jeep pulling a trailer full of lambs.”
Janet sustained severe internal injuries and died at the scene.
Mr Theiler said he will not be attending his wife’s inquest next week as it would be too much for him.
Janet’s two daughters were at home in the US when the incident happened. Mr Theiler said it was “by far the hardest calls I’ve ever made in my life” having to tell them their mother had died.
Mr Theiler was speaking yesterday from Seattle to Miriam O’Callaghan on RTÉ Radio One.
The knowledge of two further deaths last April in different circumstances along the same narrow road through the Gap had caused him great upset, he said.
He had written a letter to the Department of Transport and to Kerry County Council immediately after Janet’s death to highlight issues relating to the very narrow and busy road shared by bicycles, hikers, tourist pony cars, farm vehicles, and cars.
In particular Mr Theiler complained about a lack of signage — which has still not been addressed. He said he keeps being told he will have to wait until the inquest to see if the coroner makes any recommendations.
“All I’ve asked them to do is an evaluation of safety and I’m not sure what on earth the inquest will tell them that they don’t already know.”
In a statement, Kerry County Council sympathised with Mr Theiler and said it will consider any recommendations made at the inquest.
