Tesla written off after collision on controversial Kildare road 

A KILDARE resident’s Tesla was wrote off when it struck an unmarked concrete block verge installed as part of ongoing road works on the R448 between Moone and Timolin as part of the pilot cycleway. Dr Ioannis Syrigos, co-owner and Managing Director of Ancient Origins – a website covering historical and archaeological research, has been a resident in the area for the last six years.

On 13 October, the Timolin resident was driving on the road at approximately 7.45pm when the collision occurred – a situation he called “a nightmare.” 

He told the Kildare Nationalist that he was travelling the route for the first time since the concrete verges in between the lanes were added.

“It was dark, and I went to overtake a car,” he said. “They’ve added these concrete blocks in the middle of the road with no signs, no light – absolutely nothing. I didn’t see it at all.” 

His vehicle – a Tesla Model X, which is valued new at €115,000, struck the block.

“It completely destroyed the wheels. It broke the suspension and destroyed the tyres. The car was just sliding after that. I was very lucky I managed to steer a little to the left so it didn’t crash.” 

Unable to drive the vehicle, he waited by the roadside for hours as emergency services attempted to recover it. A standard tow truck arrived but could not move the car due to the extensive damage. A specialist truck eventually arrived around 11.30pm.

It was only after this, he said, that workers arrived to place temporary lighting and traffic cones around the block.

The incident happened on a section of road where a new cycleway has become a growing source of frustration for residents. Large concrete separators have been installed along the route, with several locals expressing concern about visibility, narrow lanes and poor lighting.

“This whole thing is a waste of money,” he said. “They’ve done it as if it’s the middle of a big city.” 

He added that some of the concrete verges were virtually impossible to see at night. 

“If it’s dark and raining, you can’t even see them,” he said.

Since the crash, signs and reflectors have been added along the route, though he said lighting remains inadequate.

To add insult to injury, two to three weeks after the crash, Dr Syrigos said he returned to the road in a rental car and was driving at 100km/h (the road’s original speed limit before it was temporarily reduced to 60km/h) and was stopped by gardaí and fined. He further explained that small, easy-to-miss signs were put up indicating the new speed limit, and the speed limit change was not updated on Google Maps.

“There was a police car hiding after the junction. I got a fine for going at 100, which was the old limit. They put the signs up after the accident, and they’re tiny. Most people using that road would have no idea,” he explained.

He believes many other drivers may have been caught out the same way.

The car was deemed written off as repair costs were valued at approximately €50,000. Dr Syrigos had to buy a new car but he was unable to purchase the same car as before, as the Model X with right wheel drive became discontinued in Ireland.

He was dependent on rental cars for over a month to pick his son up from school until he got his new Tesla Model S.

“I couldn’t go anywhere. I had to get a friend to bring me to Naas to pick up the rental, and I had to change every week because I didn't know when I would have a new car, so I couldn't rent it for too long.” 

Dr Syrigos believes that safety concerns from local residents, such as himself, are completely justified, and that the R448 has become an unsafe road.

“It doesn’t make any sense what they are doing,” said Dr Syrigos. “Absolutely no sense in this area when you very, very rarely will see bicycles. And when you see them, it will be usually on a Sunday, and it was just a few.” 

He explained that his Tesla is wide and barely fits on the road the way it is now. “I have to be extremely careful when I drive this road now because it just fits on the lane.

“But they still don't have lights there. To do something like this, you need to have lights in the whole section of the road.”