Cork cyclist has made 'miraculous' recovery after being hit by a van, court told

The middle-aged injured party has not been able to bring himself to sit onto a bicycle since the accident. File picture

A highly experienced lifelong cyclist made a "miraculous" recovery from catastrophic injuries when a van struck him near Rosscarbery in County Cork almost three years ago throwing him into the verge.

The motorist responsible for the collision panicked and left the scene but returned 50 minutes later, approached a garda checkpoint and admitted responsibility.

The case against Kevin O’Sullivan of Union Hall, Skibbereen, County Cork, which dates back to the incident on June 1, 2023, has now been finalised at Cork Circuit Criminal Court where the motorist has been given a suspended 18-month sentence.

Judge Boyle said the injured party who did not bear any ill-will towards Mr O’Sullivan had “made his own luck by being a fit and determined man”. 

To the accused, Judge Boyle said: “You have shown genuine remorse. You panicked and you left the scene — you should not have but I don’t think you left for a sinister motive. You returned in 50 minutes or so.” 

Kevin O’Sullivan, who is aged around 40, pleaded guilty to careless driving causing serious bodily harm and failing to offer assistance to a person to whom an injury had been caused.

Sergeant Donal Daly testified in relation to the incident which occurred at Barleyhill East, Rosscarbery, County Cork, after 9am on the morning in question.

“The cyclist coming from Skibbereen to Rosscarbery was impacted from the rear and thrown from the roadway into the verge. The vehicle left the scene,” Sgt Daly said.

'Nothing short of miraculous'

Fortunately, a HGV driver was able to see the stricken cyclist in the verge from the vantage point of his high cab. Sgt. Daly said that the injured man would not have been visible to motorists in cars. 

The emergency services were contacted and the severity of the injuries required the injured party to be airlifted to Cork University Hospital.

Sgt Daly said that the accused man returned to the scene, driven by a relative, and approached gardaí at a checkpoint to say that he was responsible. “He said he panicked, he left the scene, he was blinded by morning sunlight. He showed me where he had parked his van in a farmyard,” Sgt Daly said.

Given the catastrophic injuries sustained “his recovery has been nothing short of miraculous,” Sgt Daly said. However, the middle-aged injured party has not been able to bring himself to sit onto a bicycle.

Defence senior counsel, Donal O’Sullivan, said from the beginning the defendant said he knew he had hit something on the road but could not say what he hit due to blinding sunshine. The defendant wrote a letter of apology to the injured party.