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Midland, Western Australia hit and run (Facebook video still)Video: Hit & run driver sends Australian cyclists crashing to ground
Members of a group of cyclists near Perth in Western Australia were lucky to escape with nothing more than cuts, bruises and some road rash after they were hit by an overtaking pick-up truck, with the driver failing to stop.
The incident, which was caught on rear-facing Fly6 cameras on the bikes of the two riders at the front of the group, shows the cyclists riding two abreast, as they are allowed to do by law.
One car gives them plenty of space as the driver overtakes, a second comes far too close for comfort, but a third hits one of the riders, sending him crashing to the ground.
The film of the incident which took place on Morrison Road, Midland, Western Australia on Saturday evening was posted on the Facebook page of the Australian Cycle Alliance, together with the hashtag #cowardsrun – a term used to describe motorists involved in hit and run crashes.
In their post, they said: “What we know is that the car was caught up at the next lights, registration plate was collected and the police have been notified. This will be going to court.”
They added: “This is a horrible crime, a Hit'n'Run is a most disgusting way to treat another human being. If you hurt someone, you own your error, you ensure everyone is OK and you deal with it.”
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Many people commenting on that Facebook post noted that the movement of the pick-up truck involved suggested that the driver may have been deliberately trying to knock the riders off their bikes.
In response to questions about whether the road conditions meant it was safe to ride two abreast there, one local cyclist, Heath Bell, said: “The road is actually quite wide. Camera doesn’t do it justice.
“Add to that there is substantial section down the middle without medium strips where cars could easily pass like the two previous to this scumbag.”
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
Latest Comments
- Boopop 4 sec ago
I find it deeply jarring and disappointing that Sir David agrees with these people not wanting a cycle lane. Whenever I watch one of his excellent...
- chrisonabike 9 min 10 sec ago
May need insurance, tax and a licence. No problem with the lights though.
- Simon E 25 min 11 sec ago
Yes, they look just like the Lezyne Zecto model. My club bought a couple of sets from the LBS for our midweek TTs so if someone turns up without...
- Hirsute 2 hours 56 min ago
If you can't see a %^$&ing large tractor what ^%$£"!*ing hope is there that you will see a cyclist ?...
- chrisonabike 3 hours 14 min ago
Well if you *can* interview the original riders at all surely they worked, at least?...
- David9694 3 hours 43 min ago
Live: Car plunges over wall and lands on beach rocks...
- biking59boomer 3 hours 49 min ago
Looks like yet another bike share service that's going to fold because of selfish idiots.
- quiff 7 hours 54 min ago
Fair point - I was restricting myself to pedal bikes. As I've never spent that kind of money on anything though (mortgage doesn't count), it's kind...
- brooksby 8 hours 56 min ago
And finally: I wonder how many of the "more than 3,000" signatures on that petition are actually locals, who live or work there (and are not just...
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10 comments
[[[[[[ And of course, the driver will never be breathalised now...this "accident" reminds me of the incident involving a bikie and Australian cricketer Shane Warne, not too long ago. Warne, according to the report, had been "celebrating" after a match, and lost his temper with a cyclist who didn't move aside smartly enough, and alledgedly drove into the rider, knocking him down, and then drove over the bike's front wheel....and then drove away mouthing abuse, and failed to report the RTI to the police, alledgedly. Always 2 sides to a story, they say. But are Aussie cyclist-haters really any worse than those here in UK?
P.R.
The ignorance and stupidity in some of those Facebook comments is staggering. Perhaps we need to reconsider our views on eugenics...
Traffic islands are the work of the devil.
Drunk perhaps? I can't imagine a sober driver doing a hit and run but then hanging around at the next intersection.
If a car overtakes another car where there isn't room and hits either the car it's overtaking, a road fixture or an oncoming car, then it's 100% the overtaking cars fault for forcing a move where the situation didn't allow. However, if it's a cyclist that's being overtaken, then all of a sudden it's not the overtaking car's fault, and the cyclist was responsible or at least partly responsible.
I agree though, it'll be a few hundred dollar fine punishment, and that's it. If the cyclist is badly injured, it might be a month or two with loss of license.
It seems like the driver had to abort a first attempt because of what looks like the equivalent of a British pinch point. Maybe there was another one and the driver had to avoid it....
Looks like a deliberate clip to me - had to be on purpose.
Happy they got the number plate but knowing the way Australia treats cyclists, I doubt the driver will get anything more than a slap on the wrist.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3116315/Mark-Bosnich-handed-12-m...
Never ascribe to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Not neccesarilly, two forms of on purpose, deliberately aiming for the cyclists, or can't be bothered to move over. I would guess the former is VERY unusual, the later far more common. A third explanation is simply the driver wasn't paying attention.
None are acceptable, but only one is IMO a "hanging offence", all three prove you have no right to drive.
Such a bullshit question. It should always be safe to ride two abreast, unless your lane is so narrow that one of you is riding into oncoming traffic.
Sadly, the Australian government's attitude to cyclists is that of disdain. I'll be interested to see what punishment is handed down to the driver.