Signage at Cork junction to be changed after serious crashes

An American tourist injured in a crash on the main Cork - Mallow road when turning off for Blarney at a junction where two other American tourists lost their lives last year has welcomed the news that the new signage is to be erected directing people to use an alternative route for Blarney.

Judy Dinehart, who is in her 50s, suffered minor injuries while her husband Danny, also in his 50s, suffered a serious head injury when they were involved in a collision with a van as they turned off at Waterloo on the N20 to visit Blarney Castle soon after arriving in Ireland.

The Dineharts from Stillwater, Minnesota, were fortunate to survive the collision at the exact spot which last September saw American tourists Jim Baker (62) and Peggy Sue Adams (59) lost their lives when their rental Skoda Octavia was involved in a collision with a truck.

Mr Baker from Columbia City, Indiana, was a front seat passenger in the car being driven by Ms Adams' husband, Jack (67) who survived the collision while Ms Adams from Delphos, Ohio was a rear seat passenger along with Mr Baker's wife, Deborah (62), who also survived the collision.

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Gardaí believe that the crash last year, which claimed the lives of Mr Baker and Ms Adams, and the crash on April 21st, in which the Dineharts were injured, both occurred when both drivers were using sat navs which directed them to turn off at the Waterloo Junction for Blarney.

New signage

But now Transport Infrastructure Ireland is to erect new signage at the junction, directing traffic coming from Mallow to continue straight on for Blarney and use the 671 Junction 4km closer to Cork where they can turn off the N20 and use an underpass to go to the tourist village.

Speaking to Cork’s 96FM, Ms Dinehart welcomed the news that the signage at the junction will be erected to direct motorists to the junction further south where they won’t have to cross the lane of oncoming traffic heading north as happens at the Waterloo Junction.

“I’m very excited to hear that news that they are going to be doing something that you can see in the near future rather than tabling it for another time – we’re very happy to hear that there are changes being made so no one else has to go through what we went through or worse.”

Ms Dinehart said that she would pass on the news of the signage changes to Jim Baker’s daughter, Diana whom she met in Blarney earlier this week when she laid a wreath at the spot near Waterloo where her father lost his life last September.

Both women have backed an online petition organised by Fine Gael area representative, Damian Boylan seeking to have the right turn at the Waterloo Junction closed off to traffic coming from the Mallow and Limerick directions.

Meanwhile Ms Dinehart told Cork's 96FM that her husband, Danny suffered a serious head injury in the collision last week but that doctors have told her that it will be safe for him to travel back to the United States next week.