THE DRIVER of an articulated lorry which crushed a Dublin woman taking part in a charity cycle to Wexford told gardaí he did not know he had driven over her, an inquest has heard.
Niamh Kane (51), of Louvain, Ardilea, Clonskeagh, died after suffering “severe crush injuries” in the incident on the main street in Ferns at 3.25pm on September 20th, 2008.
Ms Kane was taking part in the Welcome Home Charity Cycle to raise funds for Fr Peter McVerry to enable him to provide services for young homeless people in Dublin.
“We would hope that you would take some small consolation from the fact that the last act in her life was to raise funds for others who were less fortunate,” said jury foreman Seán Meyler.
The first statement read to the inquest by Insp Pat McDonald was that of witness George Dee from Taghmon, Co Wexford.
Mr Dee was stopped at the Boolavogue junction outside Dunbar’s pub in Ferns waiting to get out on to the busy N11 as an articulated truck with no trailer attached approached from the Camolin side of the village on the N11.
“As the truck passed through the junction I noticed a cyclist on my side, on the truck’s inside. My immediate impression was that the cyclist was very close to the truck.
“As the cyclist and the truck approached the footpath to my left, the space left for the cyclist was too tight. My immediate reaction was to blow the horn to warn the cyclist of the danger and then just before I had time to react I could see the lorry clip the cyclist.”
Mr Dee said it was some part behind the door of the lorry that clipped her, possibly part of the step.
“The cyclist wobbled and subsequently fell to the right directly in front of the rear wheels and the wheels just went directly over her upper body...This all happened in a split second. The lady screamed before she fell to the ground, prior to the wheels going over her.”
Sgt Terry Butler told the inquest that he went to Rosslare Harbour that afternoon and located the lorry, which was seized.
He also spoke to the driver, Zoltan Gudor (47), of Ballygillane Big, Rosslare Harbour, who was cautioned.
A transcript of Mr Gudor’s interview with gardaí in Enniscorthy was read aloud to the inquest, with a Hungarian interpreter present to assist Mr Gudor as he does not speak English.
Mr Gudor told gardaí: “I saw people walking on the footpath, but I did not see a cyclist beside the truck; it was impossible not to see someone who is there because traffic was so slow, with my big truck I cannot just drive, I have to look everywhere.”
Mr Gudor said he saw no signs of what had happened as he drove on. “I did not hear or see any strange noises; nobody followed me to Rosslare or stopped me to tell me what happened.”