A cyclist who died days after crashing during the Wicklow 200 sportive appeared to lose control of his bike negotiating a speed ramp that was in a state of disrepair, an inquest into his death has heard.
The victim, Patrick Kelly, was a prominent Northern Irish solicitor who died after a crash in the Wicklow 200 sportive in 2022.
He was fatally injured near Ashford and while specialist brain and spinal injury medics battled to save his life, his death was confirmed in the days after the event.
Mr Kelly (62) was admitted as a solicitor to the roll in 1985 and was a partner in the firm of McConnell Kelly before retiring just months before he very sadly died after suffering serious head injuries and multiple fractures in the crash.
An inquest into the death of Mr Kelly, Newforge Lane, Belfast, heard the speed ramp where he crashed was "badly worn". The surface of the road remained in a state of disrepair when a Garda investigator visited to inspect it in June of this year.
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Dublin District Coroner’s Court heard Mr Kelly was riding the 100km event at the Wicklow 200 when he crashed about 30km from the finish. He was riding at about 35km per hour when he fell.
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Though Mr Kelly was wearing a helmet at the time, it was not damaged in the crash. The victim slid for 18 metres after falling from his bike and suffered severe injuries to his brain and face.
He also sustained several fractures, including to his ribs, shoulder blade and collarbone and died at Beaumont Hospital when efforts to save him were not successful. The jury at the inquest returned a verdict of accidental death.
The inquest was told when Garda James Reynolds, a forensic collision investigator, went to the scene, between Glenealy and Ashford, he was struck by the way the road surface was uneven and cracked.
The markings on the speed ramp were also badly worn. While there was a sign pointing out the speed ramp to road users, it was partially covered by vegetation.
Oliver Kirwan gave evidence at the hearing on behalf of the Wicklow 200 and said the crash that killed Mr Kelly was something the event had never experienced before.
He added the emergency services were alerted, dispatched and arrived at the scene within five minutes. There were eight speed ramps on the route of the 100km and 200km sportive routes on the day but it was not possible to devise a route with no ramps.
