Cyclist died after collision with truck after she had ‘nowhere to go’ at busy Dublin roundabout, inquest hears
A CYCLIST died when she suffered catastrophic injuries in a collision with a truck after she had "nowhere to go" at a busy Dublin roundabout, an inquest has heard.
The jury at an inquest into the death of Spanish woman Luby Maryori Ramirez, 39, recommended the provision of a cycle lane at the junction between Whitehall Road and Templeville Road.
Luby, who lived at living at Limekiln Park, Walkinstown, Dublin 12, had just left work at 2.10pm just minutes before the accident happened on March 27, 2017.
Dublin Coroner’s Court heard that the two-axle rigid truck was indicating a left turn and the cyclist was positioned on the truck’s passenger side.
Luby, who co-workers say was in "great form" the day of the horror accident, suffered horrific injuries as the truck turned left and she came off her bicycle before falling under the wheels of the truck.
Witness Alison Whelan said the truck arrived at the roundabout before the cyclist, but the position Luby took up left her with nowhere to go.
She said: "Something didn’t add up about the cyclist’s position. It got to a point that as the truck turned that she just had nowhere to go.
"She was tilting on her bike as if she was going to fall. She came off the bike and fell in front of the truck."
Truck driver Iulian Farcas said he was stopped at the roundabout with his indicator on, signalling a left turn.
CCTV footage confirmed his indicator was on. He moved off but came to a halt after around twenty metres when he saw a black helmet in his mirror.
He told the court: “I looked in my mirrors and I didn’t see anything. I checked the traffic on the roundabout. I moved off and after I saw the helmet I stopped and got out. When I saw the lady I was shocked."
Asked by Deputy Coroner Dr Crona Gallagher if this was a difficult junction for trucks, Mr Farcas said it was, adding: “It’s a very big truck for this corner."
The woman’s partner Onan Maxwell grew concerned when she did not answer her phone. He had planned a surprise for her later that day.
Ms Ramirez was rushed to Tallaght Hospital where she arrived at 2.50pm an unresponsive state and was pronounced dead.
A post-mortem report by Dr Paul Crotty gave the cause of death as multiple injuries due to a road traffic collision.
Garda Damien Farrell, PSV inspector, told how the woman had cycled up the inside of the truck.
He said: “The rules of the road state that if the cyclist intends to turn right to position accordingly or remain behind the HGV."
There was no cycle lane, the court heard.
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The coroner asked if it was possible to separate cyclists from traffic on the approach to the roundabout.
Gda Farrell said: “Not that I can see other than sharing the footpath."
The jury returned a verdict of accidental death and recommended alterations to the junction to include the provision of a cycle lane.