A coroner’s court has been told a man who died after a cycling crash had only bought the electric bike he was on weeks earlier.
However, he was going downhill at the time of the crash and it was not clear if the bike being an electric model had in any way contributed to the crash.
The dead man, Robert Ian Ball of Cains House, Lissaclarig, Ballydehob, Co Cork, was a well-known artist whose work was particularly popular in Britain.
He was involved in a crash with an oncoming driver in a car at Lissanoohig,
Skibbereen, on the morning of April 21st, 2017.
Mr Ball was airlifted from the crash scene but he died in
hospital eight days later. He had suffered head and spinal injuries.
While he was not wearing a helmet, pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster told the inquest a helmet in his case may not have saved him.
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“Wearing a helmet
probably would not have made a difference at a high speed,” she explained,
adding he would have lapsed into a coma.
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The hearing was told Mr Ball had bought a new electric-assisted bike for €2,800 in February, 2017, and was using it when he crashed.
He hit a car driven by 74-year-old Skibbereen man Michael
McCarthy who was driving home towing a trailer at the time.
Mr Ball was travelling at speed and the inquest heard he
was cutting a corner descending and had veered onto the wrong side of the road.
The inquest was also told that Mr Ball rode through a
yield sign at the crash scene.
He crashed into the oncoming car, which was towing a load
of fencing, and went up onto the bonnet.
The victim’s head hit the car’s windscreen and a Garda
witness, Sgt Jim Delea, told the inquest the deceased cyclist had made no
effort to brake before impact.
Both bicycle and car were roadworthy but there had been
significant damage to both on impact.
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