Call for crash barriers where mother and daughter died

Ger Flanagan

CALLS for crash barriers to be erected on a road where a mother and daughter tragically lost their lives in 2011 were highlighted again at last week’s Roads and Transportation SPC in Castlebar. Cllr Seamus Weir (Ind) raised the issue, highlighting that the Mayo coroner made recommendations at the inquest into the deaths of Sandra Herbert (39) and her daughter, Rachel (13), back in 2012 about installing crash barriers.
Cllr Weir said that ‘he did not want to let this go’ and ‘demanded’ that the council use some of the €650,000 grant allocated for safety improvement works for 2020 to fund the barriers, instead of going directly to Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
The area of road is near Rathbaun on the Rathduff to Corroy road outside Ballina. Back in 2011, the Herberts lost their lives when the car Sandra was driving lost control due to black ice and left the road en route to bringing her daughter and three friends to a disco.
The car was found in a ditch, upside down in around three foot of water. The three friends in the back of the car managed to escape, however Sandra and Rachel tragically drowned.
Cllr Neil Cruise (FG) said it ‘beggars belief’ that barriers have not been installed on the back of the coroner’s report. He said there was a ‘necessity’ for them in the area, due to it being very prone to ice and wet conditions.  
Tom Gilligan, Director of Services of Mayo County Council, clarified that the council are not legally bound by the recommendations of the coroner but that they will be looking at the installation of barriers.