The coroner for Kerry has returned a verdict of accidental death in the case of a man who died as a result of a collision.
66-year-old Dan Healy of Rockfield, Tralee Road, Killarney was killed on April 27th, 2020 at Gortnacarriga on the main Killarney-Tralee road.
He had left home that morning on his bike.
Mr Healy was struck by a car driven by Lucia Power of Killeentierna, Currow.
Ms Power told the inquest in Tralee courthouse that she thinks of Mr Healy and his family every day and that she’s conscious of the pain caused.
Steve Orme said that Lucia Power rang him at four minutes past eight that morning and that the call lasted 11 minutes 41 seconds.
Ms Power said she was speaking to Mr Orme on her personal phone on hands free.
Steve Orme said he heard Ms Power say, where did he come from? Mr Orme said he heard a sound like the slamming of brakes and that she then uttered, ‘I hit him’ or words to that effect.
Mr Orme said the call then ended.
Garda Thomas Brosnan said no mechanical defect in the car contributed to the collision and that Dan Healy’s pedal bike, pre-collision, was fully roadworthy.
His widow, Imelda Healy, asked was he riding his bike when he was hit, Garda Brosnan said he couldn’t determine that from his inspection.
The inquest heard from gardaí that the car was being driven at 80 kilometres per hour when the collision occurred, and that Ms Power had no alcohol in her system.
Garda Donnacha O’Brien said that Ms Power told them that she had received an email sent to her work phone while driving. She said she opened the email but didn’t read it.
Garda O'Brien said Lucia Power told them on the morning of the collision that she had seen a man in his late 60s on the right hand side of the road, looking down.
Ms Power told Kerry coroner Aisling Quilter that Mr Healy was in the centre of the road, on the other side of the right line, walking with his head down and that when they collided, his head was still down.
She told gardaí that when she slammed on the brakes, the man continued to cross the road.
Sun was not an issue.
She heard the collision, saw Mr Healy lying face down and she dialled 999.
Ms Power told Kerry coroner Aisling Quilter that she had seen Mr Healy in the centre of the road, on the other side of the right line to her, with his head down and that when they collided, his head was still down.
Detective Garda Pádraig Doyle said the road surface and weather were dry, and that Mr Healy had been pushing the bike while crossing the road.
Coroner Aisling Quilter said Mr Healy was crossing the road at the time of the collision when he was hit by the vehicle. She said it appeared Mr Healy did not see the car and offering her condolences to his widow, said he would have had a quick death, the only solace she could give her.
Based on pathologist Margaret Bolster’s report, Ms Quilter said Dan Healy died of traumatic laceration of the aorta with haemorrhage and shock due to blunt force trauma and traumatic brain injury.
