2024 Fatalities

[Mr Purple]

I'll wait for any investigation but it is my experience that medical incidents don't commonly contribute to crashes such of these. Especially in a 47 year old.

And if they do it's likely that it's poorly managed diabetes/epilepsy/sleep apnoea and the whole incident is almost invariably easily avoided with a minimum of care or foresight.

There's actually not that many medical incidents that cause drivers to suddenly lose control and they're usually easy to anticipate. Either way with a dead 9yo I'm hoping this is very thoroughly looked into and persecuted as appropriate. That's not acceptable.

[brumby33]

I'll wait for any investigation but it is my experience that medical incidents don't commonly contribute to crashes such of these. Especially in a 47 year old.

And if they do it's likely that it's poorly managed diabetes/epilepsy/sleep apnoea and the whole incident is almost invariably easily avoided with a minimum of care or foresight.

There's actually not that many medical incidents that cause drivers to suddenly lose control and they're usually easy to anticipate. Either way with a dead 9yo I'm hoping this is very thoroughly looked into and persecuted as appropriate. That's not acceptable.

I wouldn't be so sure of that, I lost 2 work colleagues recently to brain tumours under the age of 50 and one was a really good mate of mine, he left behind a lovely wife and 2 young boys both in Primary school, he was a fairly fit bloke going to many cross fitness comps in the Hunter area. The other guys was a single fella, obese and luckily for the public he was driving home with another driver as a passenger, driving along a dual laned road, he simply passed out behind the wheel at 80kph, I know both guys involved, the passenger elbowed the driver to wake him up and he was only partly responsive, grabbed the wheel and used the handbrake to eventually come to a stop then promptly called the Ambulance. It was discovered he had a brain tumour that caused the seizure, had a brain operation but he was gone within 2 years at 48yrs of age, so yes, it can happen, there's all sorts of reasons people can go into seizures but it's changes to the brain is mostly the case, it can hit in an instant. My friend who was 46 at the time, took his family to Bunnings to get stuff for the house, he was only there for a short time when he had a seizure, he never had one before so was unaware anything sinister was happening from within.

[Mr Purple]

It does happen, which is why a reserve judgement until an inquest.

However it's far more common for an erratic driver to be a result of a mobile phone, drugs, alcohol or just sheer incompetence.

'When you hear hooves don't think of zebras'. I've seen the results of hundreds of car crashes in my career, and I can only recall one that was the result of a medical event (seizure due to undiagnosed brain tumour as above).

[AdelaidePeter]

Sadly there have been two cyclist fatalities in SA in the last few days.

A 65 year old cyclist crashed in the Barossa. Reports say no other vehicle was involved, and another report (paywalled) said he was taking part in an event of some sort. https://www.police.sa.gov.au/sa-police- ... wland-flat

Then yesterday (Nov 12) a 43 year old cyclist was hit by a van and killed on the Duke's Highway (the Adelaide-Melbourne route). https://www.police.sa.gov.au/sa-police- ... south-east . Judging by GSV, there is plenty of room on that stretch of road so that is so tragic and unnecessary.

RIP to both cyclists and condolences to those who knew them

[find_bruce]

A very rare single bike accident where the ABC reports that Dale Simpson died in a mountain biking incident at the First Turkey Mountain Bike Reserve near Rockhampton. RIP brother

[jasonc]

https://7news.com.au/news/man-killed-in ... c-16877420

A man has been killed as his e-bike smashed into a wall in a horrific crash.

The 66-year-old man was riding on a bike path adjacent to Athllon Dr in Kambah, in Canberra’s Tuggeranong district, on Monday when he crashed into a wall at an underpass about 5.10pm.

Emergency services treated the rider at the scene, but he died a short time later, ACT Police said.

An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash has been launched.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

Anyone who witnessed the incident who has not already spoken to police is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

[hunch]

Supposed to be a fatality up in Armidale this afternoon and 3 other riders struck on a race course. Oddly the driver was supposedly hospitalised from injuries.

[am50em]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-14/ ... /104726588

[g-boaf]

Must have been a bad crash to not only take out the riders but then crash into a tree as well.

[elantra]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-14/ ... /104726588

Shocking news

[Chris249]

The club is strict about putting signs out and keeping on the right side of the road. The road there has reasonable sight lines and after a group was taken out en masse by a SMIDSY driver a few years ago, with very serious injuries to one rider, quite a few use lights even when racing. Motorists around here are normally very good with bikes and it's one of the two courses the club uses regularly. Understandably even the club chat has no details.

Didn't race this weekend due to a recent op but sitting here feeling shattered.

[foo on patrol]

Terrible news.

Foo

[jasonc]

Horrible news

[uart]

Understandably even the club chat has no details.
Didn't race this weekend due to a recent op but sitting here feeling shattered.

Incidents like this are always devastating to the cycling community Chris, but this one sounds very close to home for you personally.

Do let us now if more details come to light because I'm sure others are also wondering how this could happen - that group would have been highly visible. Obviously some things spring to mind like mobile phone distraction or a medical episode. If it was a young driver I'd put money on the former, if an elderly driver the latter, but the driver was in their 40s so either is possible.

Edit: More recent news now says driver in their 30s. I'm thinking mobile device distraction is looking more and more likely.

[chyaroh]

Understandably even the club chat has no details.
Didn't race this weekend due to a recent op but sitting here feeling shattered.

Incidents like this are always devastating to the cycling community Chris, but this one sounds very close to home for you personally.

Do let us now if more details come to light because I'm sure others are also wondering how this could happen - that group would have been highly visible. Obviously some things spring to mind like mobile phone distraction or a medical episode. If it was a young driver I'd put money on the former, if an elderly driver the latter, but the driver was in their 40s so either is possible.

Not a lot more details as yet. Two other riders flown to John Hunter, multiple fractures including femur and pelvis. Other rider(s) with road rash and other scrapes. It's a pretty quiet sort of road, only cross-roads tend to be gravel. As stated before, there are signs at every intersection and along the course, with marshals at both ends of the route, and we're always vigilant for vehicles. Multiple riders have radar detectors.

We're a small club from a small town, this is truly devastating for everyone.

[am50em]

A few more details but no explanation as to why collision occurred.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-15/ ... /104727684

[g-boaf]

Some more on it here:

https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-ac ... 078dbbe538

Along with a disgraceful video of motor vehicles once again showing why these people shouldn't be allowed to drive at all, all while Sky News host slams riders and reckons they shouldn't be allowed on dangerous roads.

Typical case of motor vehicle MGIF mentality at the start of the video causing a near head-on crash.

Meanwhile Sky News Caleb Bond has now transformed himself from a Jaguar Cars historian and expert (see his frothing at the mouth over the new Jaguar branding) to a road-safety expert, and probably tomorrow he will be an expert on nuclear power.

Why should we believe this clown who jumps on whatever he thinks he can make mileage over? Lost credibility already.

[uart]

Some more on it here:

https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-ac ... 078dbbe538

Along with a disgraceful video...

Oh yeah, that video is an absolute disgrace. Total bottom feeders that lot, their stock in trade is whipping up outrage and then feeding on it.

[Tim]

Pairing an anti-cyclist video with a report on a fatal and multiple seriously injured collision of a car and a number of cyclists really has dragged Newscorp down to the lowest level I have yet seen.
Put yourself in the shoes of the injured and the fatally injured man's family and friends. Imagine clicking on that story. In a deep state of shock and grief, opening the video and being confronted with a panel of "journalists" frivolously ranting and laughing about the subject of cyclists riding on dangerous roads.
I can't imagine the extra hurt and pain that video is capable of inflicting on top of an already devastating situation.
Newscorp have now plumbed the depths of insensitivity and shown a total and utter lack of compassion.
We live in a sick world and it just keeps getting worse.

[g-boaf]

Pairing an anti-cyclist video with a report on a fatal and multiple seriously injured collision between a car and a number of cyclists really has dragged Newscorp down to the lowest level I have yet seen.
Put yourself in the shoes of the injured and the fataly injured man's family and friends. Imagine clicking on that story. In a deep state of shock and grief, opening the video and being confronted with a panel of "journalists" frivolously ranting and laughing about the subject of cyclists riding on dangerous roads.
I can't imagine the extra hurt and pain that video is capable of inflicting on top of an already devastating situation.
Newscorp have now plumbed the depths of insensitivity and utter lack of compassion.
We live in a sick world.

They don’t care, and they think we are “woke” lefties and the even sicker thing is there are riders among us here who actually shout their tune, except of course when they get the bad motorist treatment and then it is considerable outrage.

Either it’s because they find fun in playing devils advocate or they work for a conservative aligned PR agency and it’s their job to troll.

[Tim]

It is sick and truly disturbing.
I'm probably wasting my time but that story is going straight to whatever media standards authority I can find.
I can brush off the usual Newscorp garbage but attaching that video to the report breaches any reasonable person's sense of fairness and decency. Regardless of their political persuasion.

My heartfelt thoughts go out to the victims, their families and their friends. They matter the most.

[Chris249]

Understandably even the club chat has no details.
Didn't race this weekend due to a recent op but sitting here feeling shattered.

Incidents like this are always devastating to the cycling community Chris, but this one sounds very close to home for you personally.

Do let us now if more details come to light because I'm sure others are also wondering how this could happen - that group would have been highly visible. Obviously some things spring to mind like mobile phone distraction or a medical episode. If it was a young driver I'd put money on the former, if an elderly driver the latter, but the driver was in their 40s so either is possible.

Edit: More recent news now says driver in their 30s. I'm thinking mobile device distraction is looking more and more likely.

Thanks. I've only moved into town a few years back, dropped out of racing for years, and have only done a few races with the club so others will suffer much more; this is a small-town club where most people have known each other for years so it will leave a major scar.

On the comparatively good side, it appears that most of the injured will be able to get back to having good lives despite serious injuries and major trauma. As people here would understand, that's not to downplay the suffering, but only to try to maintain a slightly positive outlook on a tragic event.

[chyaroh]

It is sick and truly disturbing.
I'm probably wasting my time but that story is going straight to whatever media standards authority I can find.
I can brush off the usual Newscorp garbage but attaching that video to the report breaches any reasonable person's sense of fairness and decency. Regardless of their political persuasion.

My heartfelt thoughts go out to the victims, their families and their friends. They matter the most.

I saw that as well, it's obscene. If the media watchdogs had any teeth that kind of display should cost them a fecking fortune as well as grovelling apologies on the front page as well as in bloody person to everyone here in town who had to see that !! BAN ME NOW FOR SWEARING !!. Ghouls, the lot of them.

I count myself extremely lucky - I haven't raced for a while and didn't this weekend as family was up for lunch. If I had been out at the race, then odds are good I would have been in the same group that got hit by the car. It certainly stressed out any number of friends who knew I rode and raced when they heard what had happened.

It's going to be a bad week ahead. I worked with the bloke for 20-odd years.

[g-boaf]

It is sick and truly disturbing.
I'm probably wasting my time but that story is going straight to whatever media standards authority I can find.
I can brush off the usual Newscorp garbage but attaching that video to the report breaches any reasonable person's sense of fairness and decency. Regardless of their political persuasion.

My heartfelt thoughts go out to the victims, their families and their friends. They matter the most.

I saw that as well, it's obscene. If the media watchdogs had any teeth that kind of display should cost them a fecking fortune as well as grovelling apologies on the front page as well as in bloody person to everyone here in town who had to see that !! BAN ME NOW FOR SWEARING !!. Ghouls, the lot of them.

I count myself extremely lucky - I haven't raced for a while and didn't this weekend as family was up for lunch. If I had been out at the race, then odds are good I would have been in the same group that got hit by the car. It certainly stressed out any number of friends who knew I rode and raced when they heard what had happened.

It's going to be a bad week ahead. I worked with the bloke for 20-odd years.

Totally agree with you, those cretins should be tossed off the air for a long time and hit with a big financial penalty.

Extremely sorry for your loss and I cannot imagine how much stress you all must be going through.

[find_bruce]

It's going to be a bad week ahead. I worked with the bloke for 20-odd years.

That sucks, hope your crew are able to support each other and his family