Widower welcomes Gap of Dunloe signs
Warnings will help, says tragic US cyclist’s husband
THE widower of an American cyclist who was killed at the Gap of Dunloe last year has welcomed the move by Kerry County Council to erect safety signs at the landmark.
Kerry County Council will put up signs warning cyclists of the dangers at sharp turns in the tourist beauty spot, it was announced last week.
Janet Price, 69, died from severe blunt-force trauma to the chest, according to a report by pathologist Dr Margot Bolster presented to Killarney Coroner’s Court last week.
Ms Price suffered multiple fractures and lacerations to her organs due to a fall from a bicycle at the Gap of Dunloe on May 30 last year.
Coroner Aisling Quilter and the jury issued a recommendation that adequate warning signs be erected to alert all road users to the steep descent and sharp bends.
The road bend where Ms Price came off her bike and skidded underneath a 4x4 involved a sharp 140-degree bend – but there were no warning signs.
Kerry County Council said it will also print a guide for cyclists throughout the county.
Speaking to the Irish Daily Mail, Ms Price’s bereft husband Don Theiler welcomed the news. Mr Theiler came upon the tragedy involving his wife seconds after it happened.
‘I hope there is no further delay with this effort to prevent the recurrence of accidents which have occurred in the Gap,’ he said. ‘It is a beautiful place to visit and enjoy. I look forward to visiting the area next month and hopefully seeing improvements being made to make the road safer.
‘I will also be looking forward to thanking the people of Killarney who have been so sensitive and generous in supporting my family through this difficult period. In particular I would like to thank Brendan O’Donovan of the local Killarney Garda, who has gone to extraordinary lengths to help my stepdaughters and myself.
‘He is a real tribute to Killarney and the local police force.’
The widower also said that he hoped that the county council is sensitive to the safety of not just the biking public using the road in the Gap, but also to motorcyclists and pony carts as well.
Two US tourists were killed at the Gap this year when the horse and trap they were travelling on collapsed down a steep ravine. It followed a very nearmiss for three other American tourists just months earlier.
‘There was another tragic accident earlier this year in which two people lost their lives,’ Mr Theiler said. ‘I do not know the circumstances of that accident in detail but I do think aggressive measures to eliminate nonessential cars, trucks and vans on the road should also be undertaken.
‘The road is simply not designed for the level of vehicle traffic it now experiences.’
Mr Theiler also hit out at delays in investigating his wife’s death – a process, he said, that was difficult for his family.