Kerry death: Guards looking for grey Toyota 4x4

galwaycyclist

There is a condolence thread going but this might be better as a seperate thread or even a sticky. I am quoting whole article as this may consitute fair use on this particular topic in this forum. (Mods feel free to chop if not)

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/roaddeath-cyclist-was-hit-by-grey-4x4-3158436.html

Road-death cyclist was hit by grey 4x4
By Majella O'Sullivan
Wednesday July 04 2012

GARDAI are satisfied that a cyclist who was killed in a hit- and-run collision on Sunday morning had been struck by a grey Toyota 4x4.

However, the identity of the driver remains unknown.

The remains of Paud O'Leary (42) were removed from his home in Bridgeview, Leam, Gneeveguilla last night to the Church of the Holy Rosary in the east Kerry village, where his funeral will take place today.

The father of four had been out cycling on Sunday morning in training for a charity cycle.

The accident happened some time between 8am and 10am.

Last night gardai in Kanturk, Co Cork, investigating the accident confirmed that they were now satisfied as to the make and colour of the vehicle that was driven away from the scene after the accident at Scrahanfadda, Gneeveguilla on the Killarney road.

"We still don't have any idea of the registration of the vehicle or the year but we would be delighted to hear from the owner or anyone who might know someone with a jeep that matches this description that has some damage to the front of it," said Garda Inspector Gerry Lacey, who is heading the investigation.

Inspector Lacey added that the front of the vehicle would have been significantly damaged on impact and he appealed to garage owners to be vigilant.

Last night members of a local GAA club formed a guard of honour as the cyclist's body was brought to the church.

Mr O'Leary is survived by his wife Maggie, children Shannon, Antoinette, Paudie and Ross, parents and brothers and sisters.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Kanturk garda station at 029 20680, the garda confidential telephone line at 1800 666 111 or any garda station.

- Majella O'Sullivan

themandan6611

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langdang

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AstraMonti

Aha, there was a garda block yesterday around my place (Sth Dublin) and they were stopping grey/silver 4x4 Toyotas. I really hope they find him.

ashleey

I would hope that they are doing one in Kerry.

Beasty

No speculation over identity/cause/fault/guilt/potential charges etc. The Gardai will not do this for good reason - it could potentially prejudice any case

Any questions, PM me, do not respond in thread

Thanks

Beasty

ustazjoseph

This has had a big impact locally. Everyone knows someone who has been "out training for the ring" Decent community minded bloke. Could have been any of us. There's a minutes silence at the 7.00 official start.

ROK ON

ustazjoseph wrote: »

This has had a big impact locally. Everyone knows someone who has been "out training for the ring" Decent community minded bloke. Could have been any of us. There's a minutes silence at the 7.00 official start.

I am wondering would it be appropriate to approach the organisers of the RoK to make a donation to the family. Not that money will ease the grieving. But it seems appropriate.

galwaycyclist

Todays Irish Examiner


http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/gardai-release-detail-of-hit-and-run-vehicle-199957.html

Gardaí release detail of hit-and-run vehicle
By Eoin English - Saturday, July 07, 2012

Gardaí investigating a fatal hit-and-run in Co Kerry are closing in on the driver after identifying the exact type of vehicle involved.

They appealed last night for anyone with information about a charcoal grey Toyota Land Cruiser, with a registration year between 2002 and 2010 and with unexplained damage to the front right side, to contact them.

They also renewed their appeal for the driver of the vehicle involved in last Sunday’s incident to come forward. "We are very anxious to speak to the driver of the vehicle," said Insp Gerry Lacey.

"If this is a person who left the scene in a panic, then it is still not too late for them to come forward to us."

Father of four Paud O’Leary, 42, died after being knocked down as he cycled from Killarney to Gneeveguilla between 8am and 10am on Sunday, in the townland of Scrahanfadda.

From Leamyglissane, Gneeveguilla, Mr O’Leary was from a well-known family with strong GAA connections. He played with Gneeveguilla and was trainer of the Gneeveguilla/Rathmore ladies team.

He was in training for this weekend’s Ring of Kerry charity cycle.

Insp Lacey said detectives belive the vehicle involved would have sustained damage to the front right-hand side, with damage visible to its bumper, lights, or right wing.

He appealed for anyone who saw such a vehicle on the road from Killarney to Gneeveguilla in the early hours of last Sunday or people in the motor trade who may have been approached for parts or repairs on such a vehicle in recent days, to contact Kanturk Garda Station on 029 20680.

ABEasy

galwaycyclist wrote: »

They appealed last night for anyone with information about a charcoal grey Toyota Land Cruiser, with a registration year between 2002 and 2010 and with unexplained damage to the front right side, to contact them.

[/Quote]

Front RHS, WTF, really hope they catch lowlife!!

blorg

ABEasy wrote: »

galwaycyclist wrote: »

They appealed last night for anyone with information about a charcoal grey Toyota Land Cruiser, with a registration year between 2002 and 2010 and with unexplained damage to the front right side, to contact them.

Front RHS, WTF, really hope they catch lowlife!![/Quote]Does front RHS suggest a head on collision with the car possibly on the wrong side of the road?

langdang

The guards had already indicated that it was an oncoming vehicle I think. Could have been a very narrow road so not necessarily on the "wrong side" (obviously I'm not excusing though). Saw at least one "in memory of Paud" tshirt out on the ROK today. Very sad.

ROK ON

A lot of the roads in that part of Kerry (like many backroads in Ireland) are wide enough for about 1 large vehicle.

If this was head on as the Gardai seem to indicate, then it is unforgivable to leave the scene. However having driven and cycled some of these roads I can understand just to such an accident might occur.

That does not excuse it.

sann

Sean og o leary (pauds brother) is appearing on ireland am on weds mornings show to make a fresh to the driver of the 4x4 landcruiser to come forward.
It would be great for his family if this person could finally see sense and do the honourable thing and try to ease the suffering on pauds loved ones.

Qualitymark

ROK ON wrote: »

A lot of the roads in that part of Kerry (like many backroads in Ireland) are wide enough for about 1 large vehicle.

If this was head on as the Gardai seem to indicate, then it is unforgivable to leave the scene. However having driven and cycled some of these roads I can understand just to such an accident might occur.

That does not excuse it.

One of my worst cycling moments was cycletouring, loaded up with panniers and tent, on a road in Kerry where an articulated lorry came driving towards us blaring the horn. I couldn't understand why he was so tooty, since we were well in to the side, until another artic passed us, and the first artic, going full speed, and leaving us so little room that we were almost pulled under its wheels by the suck of its slipstream. People drive like maniacs on those roads.

legendary.xix

Cabaal wrote: »

Paudie O’Leary named as victim of Kerry hit and run

http://www.thejournal.ie/paudie-oleary-kerry-hit-and-run-gneeveguilla-crash-kanturk-506818-Jul2012/

It's disappointing to hear the person who caused the Paudie O'Leary accident has not been caught. I would say disappointing they have not come forward but sadly that does not seem a possibility. The person will have to be caught.

I read yesterday that the Gardai are looking for "he was struck by a charcoal grey Toyota Land Cruiser at Scrahanfadda, Gneeveguilla, Co Kerry, on July 1.

A garda hunt to find the driver of the Land Cruiser has intensified but so far the person's identity remains unknown.

Gardai believe the person was driving from the Killarney direction heading to Gneeveguilla, possibly returning from a night of socialising in the early hours of Sunday.

They also Gardai say the Land Cruiser would have been significantly damaged on its front right-hand side, noticeably to the bumper and lights.

"We are continuing the investigation at an intense pace but we just can't push it over the line yet," Inspector Gerry Lacey said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Kanturk garda station at 029-20680, the garda confidential telephone line at 1800 666 111 or any garda station."

I hope for the sake of the family they will get closure on this. Would there be that many charcoal grey Toyota Land Cruiser going from Killarney to the Gneeveguilla area?

ThisRegard

I heard on the radio this morning the main suspect has been arrested in London yesterday. Apparently gardai suspected he fled to Australia after the incident and was arrested in Heathrow on his way to board a plane back there.

catweazle

I hope they have their man and I hope its the maximum sentence that they can give, he has had almost 2 years to think about what he did and still he hasn't come forward. Hopefully it will give Pauds family some small piece of closure

A MAN in his 20s has been arrested in London in connection with a fatal hit and run almost two years ago that claimed the life of a father of four.

London Metropolitan Police arrested the Irish man at Heathrow Airport yesterday, following a request by gardai.

This is the first arrest that has ever been made in connection with the death of Paud O'Leary (42) from Leamyglissane, Gneeveguilla, Co Kerry, who died after being hit by a vehicle as he trained for a charity cycle at Scrahanfadda near his home on July 1, 2012.

His body was found by a family member who had gone out searching for him when he failed to return home.

A postmortem revealed he had died of injuries consistent with a road traffic accident.

Mr O'Leary's widow Margaret and other family members had made numerous appeals for the person responsible to come forward.

The vehicle gardai suspect to have been involved, a charcoal grey Toyota Landcruiser, was never recovered.

It was believed that a person gardai wished to speak to in connection with Mr O'Leary's death had left the country and was living abroad.

Mr O'Leary had been cycling at the time he was killed in training for the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle. He had intended completing the cycle for the Kerry All Stars, a charity that works with children and adults with Down Syndrome. One of his daughters has the condition.

His brother Sean completed the charity cycle, in his brother's memory, for the charity.

After the race he appealed for the driver of the vehicle to come forward.

Icyseanfitz

Hopefully they have him the cowardly sob!

Hunterbiker

Hopefully justice will be done and not only the suspect but also everyone who helped them to evade capture for so long too who in my mind ate just as bad as the one who drove the vehicle.

Mycroft H

Hopefully he gets what's coming to him now.

griffin100

Hopefully justice will be served here. This death really upset me at the time as this man was left to die on the side of the road whilst out for a Sunday morning spin whilst his family were at home. B@stard.

Koobcam

I hope they have the right man. If so, then he should get the maximum possible sentence.

TheBlaaMan

Don't have high expectations for a long sentence (if any custodial sentence at all) - going on past examples

legendary.xix

If they have caught the person, I too hope the maximum sentence will be imposed. Unfortunately I too do not have high expectations for a long sentence base on past examples. Judges sometimes baffle and disappoint law abiding people by the light and weak sentences they hand down.

If the right person has been caught, I hope this will help the family to have closure. It was a terrible thing to happen and for anyone to go through.

I always figured with the investigation, would they have some idea from the car tax and/or car insurances records of people with the make, model and colour of vehicle they were looking for? I suppose for now, we'll have to wait and see how the investigation unfolds.

Endurance_man

Let's hope they got the man. Always sent shivers down my spine .

macadam

Hope this b@stard gets whats coming to him, let be by the law of the land or the man above... I cycled some of the ROK with a friend of Paud's that year and it was heart breaking, what happened.

shaka

Hopefully law is more severe here than uk , guys getting away without custodial sentences over there is madness....

legendary.xix

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/in-brief-man-held-over-death-30005379.html

21 year-old named. Being detained in London pending extradition to Ireland.

Chips Lovell

We're going to have to lock this one for now. A person has been named and they are the subject of legal proceedings, so we risk straying into contempt of court.

Thank you