Foul play ruled out as woman dies in freak fall from bicycle
A MIDDLE-aged woman has died in a freak cycling accident on the old Dublin-Cork road.
The woman's body -- which was found beside her bicycle -- was discovered shortly after 9pm on Wednesday evening at Curracunna, between Mitchelstown and Kilbehenny, on the old Cork-Dublin road.
The 52-year-old woman, who is from the area, had been seen cycling in the area earlier in the evening.
Gardai were initially uncertain if the woman's death was linked to natural causes or whether she may have been involved in a hit-and-run.
A local man spotted the body and immediately alerted Mitchelstown gardai.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Her body was later transferred to Cork University Hospital where a full post-mortem was scheduled to be carried out yesterday by the State Pathologist's Office.
The Irish Independent understands that, from an initial examination, there was no evidence that either the woman or her bicycle had been involved in a collision with any other vehicle. It is now suspected that the woman died as a result of severe head injuries sustained when she fell from her bicycle.
Garda sources said foul play has now been ruled out. The woman was wearing protective head gear and proper reflective safety clothing.
Gardai have appealed to anyone to come forward who was last Wednesday driving in the area between 7pm and 9pm.
- Ralph Riegel
Irish Independent
