Cork community left reeling after young man killed in freak bike accident
A community has been left reeling following the death of a young man in freak scrambler motorbike accident close to his home in Cork.
Steven O’Callaghan, 24, from Riverview Estate in Blarney, suffered fatal injuries on Saturday night when the motorbike he was riding struck a tree on a forest track which runs parallel to the Blarney-Tower road.
The young man was thrown into the river Martin, which runs alongside the woodland trail. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The relatively straight woodland trail, which runs from Paud’s Cross and behind the Riverview housing estate, follows the route of the old Muskerry railway line and is used regularly by locals for dog walking, and by fishermen.
But it has also been used by those involved in motocross as a scrambler trail for years.
Neighbours said they heard the sounds of motorbikes driving up and down the trail for most of Saturday afternoon.
Mr O’Callaghan was with a brother and some friends when the accident happened at around 8pm.
While garda investigations are ongoing, it appears as if he lost control of the bike on a narrow section of the trail before the bike struck a tree, flinging him off his bike and into the river alongside.
His friends raised the alarm and emergency services including gardaí, a HSE ambulance and a rapid response doctor, raced to the scene.
But despite their best efforts, Mr O’Callaghan was pronounced dead at the scene.
His body was removed to Cork University Hospital (CUH) where a post mortem is expected to be carried out.
Gardaí are treating the incident at this stage as a tragic accident and sealed off the scene for a full technical examination by road traffic collision investigators.
The bike has also been recovered for a garda inspection.
The findings, as well as statements from those who were with Mr O’Callaghan at the time of the incident, will be included in the garda file which will be prepared for the coroner’s court in due course.
Local Fine Gael Cllr Damian Boylan said the community has been left reeling by the tragedy - particularly given the restrictions on funerals which have been imposed as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.
"Your heart would break for any family that has to go through a tragedy like this but especially at this time, with the restrictions in place, and when you can’t have a normal burial," he said.
"Ireland does funerals and burials well. We have a great process that helps people along.
"That’s all gone from us now. Our hearts break for this family and for his friends but people will rally to help them when this is over."
