[sanjuro]

Horrible

http://www.smh.com.au/news/beijing2008/furious-driver-takes-out-50strong-cycle-pack/2008/05/08/1210131112608.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2

About 50 cyclists - including Australian racer Kate Nichols, who was injured in a 2005 German road racing crash in which a teammate was killed - have been involved in a hit-and-run crash in Sydney this morning.

The resulting smash forced a semitrailer to lock up, jackknife and screech to a halt behind the cyclists while cars had to swerve to avoid them.

Also involved in the crash, at 6.35am on Southern Cross Drive, south of the corner of Dacey Avenue in Mascot, were former Olympians Ben Kersten, Kate's father Kevin Nichols, Graeme Brown, Michelle Ferris and Matthew White.

Witnesses to the crash have told smh.com.au the group of about up to 60 professional cyclists were riding south on Southern Cross Drive, just south of Dacey Avenue, Mascot about 6.30am when a driver, agitated with being held up, accelerated in front of the pack and then slammed on his brakes, giving the riders no time to stop.

Olympic preparations derailed

Kersten, speaking from a chiropractor's surgery where he was having his injuries assessed, said he feared his preparation for the Beijing Olympics could be derailed by the incident.

"I did hurt myself, I'm not broken or anything, but I am going to need a few days' recovery," he said.

"I'm having trouble bending my arm, my hip's all flared up. I rolled my ankle so it's not something you just walk straight through, but a lot of other people looked a lot worse than me. It's just a disgrace, an absolute disgrace.

"I have an Olympic trial in two-and-a half weeks for the last remaining spot [on the team] so it's not very good timing at all.

"I've got to get a new bike now, I've got to worry about my injuries, I'm supposed to be at training now but I'm at the chiropractor. Every day counts. This is not what you need."

Kersten said motorists needed to learn to share the road with cyclists.

"This is our training ground. We can't ride round and round a football stadium at 60kmh. The law states we are allowed on the road. A brutal death match on the road is not going to solve anything," he said.

"We're so lucky somebody isn't dead, we were pushing 60kmh, sprawled all over the road with trucks going past. I really don't know how someone isn't dead, that's all I can say."

Kersten said any person found guilty of driving offences related to the crash should have to pay compensation to the riders whose equipment was damaged.

"My bike suffered a fair bit of damage, it's carbon and it's got a crack in it and the wheels are written off," he said.

"It's probably about $12,000 worth [of damage] but I am lucky enough to be sponsored by a [cycling manufacturer], so they will be able to do something, but there are 50 other bikes in the bunch that are not sponsored.

"I definitely think [the driver] should [pay compensation]. I think there was probably close to $50,000 worth of bike damage done.

"But I just want to see him go to jail, I don't give a hoot about the bikes because I don't think someone of that calibre is going to fork out one cent. I would rather see him go to jail."

Group called the Coluzzi Ride

One of the riders said the cycling group called itself the Coluzzi Ride after the Darlinghurst cafe it regularly set out from and was made up of "serious, A-grade riders and pros".

"A lot of Olympians and professionals when they are in town join the ride, most of them are just higher level amateurs, you have to be pretty fast to keep up," said rider, 27-year-old Nick Cooper.

One of the group said the motorist was "worrying" the rear of the pack, then overtook, pulled in front and slammed on his brakes, giving the riders no time to stop.

Slammed into each other

"Everyone's slammed into each other ... there were broken bikes - wheels busted and wheels snapped - and people lying on the road."

Mr Cooper said" "{`Three female cyclists took the brunt of the accident, careering into the back of the braking vehicle, several of them being thrown into the air landing on the boot and roof of the car.

"Most riders were left with cuts and bruises and at least some damage to bikes, shoes and helmets, including some bikes sustaining thousands of dollars of damage.

"This whole incident really exemplified the escalating road rage towards cyclists happening on Sydney's roads.

"Road rage seems to occur with or without provocation, and regardless of whether cyclists are riding in a law abiding way, or slowing down traffic.

Motorists jeered

"A perfect example of the enmity were the jeers and taunts of several drivers (more than 3 separate drivers that I noticed) making their way past the aftermath of the accident, despite the fact that a police car and two ambulances were on the scene treating seriously injured people.

"[A] policemen informed us that the back of the group was nearly cleaned up by a semitrailer locking the brakes to avoid the suddenly halting group, with its trailer jack-knifing and sliding towards the group before being skilfully brought under control by the driver, narrowly avoiding potential fatalities,'' Mr Cooper said.

He said he overheard one rider telling a policewoman that his bicycle, which had sustained major damage to its front wheel, was worth $9000.

Michelle Ferris, who was at the front of the pack, described the collision.

"We we're all in the left hand lane and this Ford Falcon came from the middle lane and swerved into the front of the bunch and braked suddenly,'' she said.

"We were doing about 40 kilometres an hour , there was no way for me to go and I went straight into the back of his car and other riders went into me.

"My chin [hit] the back window and my bike was totalled.''

Police - including an off-duty officer who witnessed the crash - quickly closed the lane down while they investigated the incident.

Driver known to police

It is understood they know who the driver of the car is, and are attempting to contact him now.

It is expected he will be charged, including with failing to stop at the scene of an accident and negligent or dangerous driving.

There was no doubt the driver of the dark blue Ford Falcon - described by other witnesses as in his 30s with a female passenger - had done it deliberately, she said.

Everyone was particularly worried about Kate Nichols, given her involvement in the 2005 road crash in Germany in which national team member Amy Gillett was killed, Ferris said.

"We were all very worried about her. When I saw her she was as white as a ghost still sitting on the ground."

Kate's father Kevin, who was also involved in the crash, said his daughter had only just begun riding again after a lengthy lay-off.

"She's pretty shaken, it's a pretty shaking incident," he said.

"She just started [riding again] last week, she had a long break and had just started out again. She hadn't ridden with this group for months.

"She had had a bit of tiredness, issues being sorted out, she had started work and was taking it easy. She was sick last year, she had a virus."

Mr Nichols said he was not sure if the crash, so soon after the horrific injuries she suffered in Germany in 2005, would prompt his daughter to give the sport away completely.

"Who knows?" he said. "You take each day as it comes with this sort of thing."

His daughter was not in contention for the Australian Olympic cycling team for this year's Games, he added.

Mr Nichols said she was not badly injured but had a bump on the head and was having precautionary X-rays following the crash, which he described as "malicious".

He said he saw the face of the driver of the Falcon and his female passenger, who he believed were both aged in their 30s, and said they appeared to find their actions funny.

"Most motorists are really good, but clowns such as the person today are just one out of the box," he said.

Road rules for cyclists

Cyclists riding in groups on public roads can only cycle next to one other rider - a law described by the Roads and Traffic Authority as riding "two abreast'' - and must not ride more than 1.5 metres apart.

The RTA's website also stipulates that cyclists must ride in a bicycle lane if one is available and can use bus lanes, except when the lane is marked 'buses only'.

Contrary to some correspondence to smh.com.au today, the section of road where today's crash happened was flanked by a shoulder, not a cycle path.

Children under 12 are allowed to ride on a footpath but adults are only permitted to use them if they are supervising a child.

Ferris said the group involved in today's crash were obeying the road rules before the pile-up.

"We were riding two abreast and 1.5 metres from the left of the lane,'' she said.

"We were all riding together, we certainly weren't going out there to cause trouble.''

Ferris, who said she was feeling "pretty sore'' after being one of the first to crash into the braking vehicle, said some of the ignorance in the community about the rights of cyclists on the road was "just astounding''.

 

[Squeak]

What I really wish would happen in cases like these: Driver gets his ass pummeled by the cyclists. Bruised battered and beaten, maybe they get the message.

A failing to stop at an accident and driving ticket won't mean squat to a person like this. A good old fashioned ass kicking might.

 

[Heidi]

I saw that this morning on Cyclingnews and was saddened. I mean, it's one thing for motorists to honk or flip people off...even yell at cyclilsts, but to put them in physical danger is the worst.

 

[Silver]

I saw that this morning on Cyclingnews and was saddened. I mean, it's one thing for motorists to honk or flip people off...even yell at cyclilsts, but to put them in physical danger is the worst.

Actually, it's attempted murder.

 

[ire]

Thats horrible.....I hope they nail the piece of sh!t

 

[gonefirefightin]

another reason I conceal carry when i ride

 

[Wumpus]

another reason I conceal carry when i ride

Why? So you can shot your bike when it goes down with a lame wheel?

 

[gonefirefightin]

eggs act lee

 

[Serial Midget]

Even Australians suck from time to time.

 

[SPINTECK]

another reason I conceal carry when i ride

Not in australia. They lost their right to keep guns. I'm pro gun, but not sure I support shooting at a fleeing car after an accident. Not that I wouldn't do it, just that I wouldn't condone it


That story sucks. And I thought Philly drivers were dangerous?

 

[I Are Baboon]

The driver should not be allowed to continue living. Seriously, why keep him alive?

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Could we build a road bike frame from the driver's bones?

 

[Heidi]

Did you guys see his excuse? He says he just got a new car a couple days ago and it's one of those hybrids and it stalled or whatever and the engine died. Pffffft

 

[syadasti]

Did you guys see his excuse? He says he just got a new car a couple days ago and it's one of those hybrids and it stalled or whatever and the engine died. Pffffft

Ford Falcon doesn't come in a hybrid version. Its a crappy RWD car...an Aussie version of a Mustang:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Falcon_(Australia)

There was no doubt the driver of the dark blue Ford Falcon - described by other witnesses as in his 30s with a female passenger - had done it deliberately, she said.

 

[Toshi]

Did you guys see his excuse? He says he just got a new car a couple days ago and it's one of those hybrids and it stalled or whatever and the engine died. Pffffft

link? or joke?

sounds like he's going to get nailed:

Police - including an off-duty officer who witnessed the crash - quickly closed the lane down while they investigated the incident.

Driver known to police

It is understood they know who the driver of the car is, and are attempting to contact him now.

It is expected he will be charged, including with failing to stop at the scene of an accident and negligent or dangerous driving.

There was no doubt the driver of the dark blue Ford Falcon - described by other witnesses as in his 30s with a female passenger - had done it deliberately, she said.

 

[Heidi]

Cyclingnews Story

The man, who only identified himself as 'Jason', said he was questioned by police on Thursday morning at 9am. But he claimed he did not provoke the accident deliberately, saying that an engine failure made him stop his vehicle. "I just got a car two days ago that is a gas and petrol thing - and it backfired, the airbox popped," he said, adding that his car "stalled", forcing him to pull up partly in the emergency lane and partly in the left-hand lane.

"I've pulled over, I had time to put my hazard lights on, put it into park, go to start it in petrol, half a dozen maybe 15 cyclists rode past me, and then all of a sudden one or two went bang bang into the back of my car," he said.

'Jason' and his girlfriend then drove off by switching the car from gas to petrol. "(They were) all looking at me like I'm an idiot and calling me names. I thought, 'I'm not getting out of the car with 50 blokes wanting to hit me.' I just drove off."

 

[sanjuro]

Did you guys see his excuse? He says he just got a new car a couple days ago and it's one of those hybrids and it stalled or whatever and the engine died. Pffffft

Cyclists dispute driver's account

Malcolm Brown
May 10, 2008

HE IS known in Colquhoun Way, a back street in the Campbelltown suburb of Claymore, as "Huss", a nice guy by neighbours' accounts. But only his dark brown Ford Falcon was there yesterday, with a dented boot - while Huss was elsewhere arguing his case against furious cyclists.

Huss was driving his sedan along Southern Cross Drive at 6.45am on Thursday when he encountered a large group of cyclists returning from a training ride.

The speed limit for vehicles was 80kmh and Huss was obliged to slow. "I've got in front of, overtaken all of the cyclists, and while I'm sort of in the middle lane … another car in front of me, he has slowed down. I've accelerated to get into the left lane - and I just got a car two days that is a gas and petrol thing - and it backfired, the airbox popped."

On his account most of the cyclists sailed past him but two went "thud, thud" into his boot. He found himself surrounded by up to 50 angry cyclists and thought it prudent to drive off. On the accounts of several cyclists involved, there was a pile-up involving injuries to up to 20 cyclists.

Yesterday on Macquarie Radio and calling himself "Jason", he defended himself and said he had even put on his hazard lights. Ben Kersten, one of the cyclists, rang the station to call Huss a liar: "We have 50 witnesses to say everything you have said is false."

Police have interviewed Huss, and last night had laid no charges but the cyclists have intimated they may mount a class action and seek up to $50,000 compensation.

A political row erupted, with the Minister for Roads, Eric Roozendaal, saying it was "not helpful" for cyclists to ride in peak hour traffic. But the Greens MP Lee Rhiannon said he was sending a dangerous message.

"Officer, I was cleaning my sniper rifle in front of his house, and it just went off. It was an accident".

 

[TreeSaw]

Actually, it's attempted murder.

Definitely! This is horrific!!!

 

[jonKranked]

sounds like what they need is a good ol' fashioned lynching!

What a fvcking liar. This guy is gonna get it.

 

[Heidi]

I feel really bad for the Olympic guy too. How sad.

 

[laura]

I feel really bad for the Olympic guy too. How sad.

Me too, can you imagine all the work and training just to have to put it off because some asshole was playing ****ing games.

 

[SuspectDevice]

Me too, can you imagine all the work and training just to have to put it off because some asshole was playing ****ing games.

Like that bastard Carter!

 

[ATOMICFIREBALL]

Driver known to police

It is understood they know who the driver of the car is, and are attempting to contact him now.

It is expected he will be charged, including with failing to stop at the scene of an accident and negligent or dangerous driving.



Sounds to me from the follow up article in post #17 this moron might walk without any consequences.
This is why alot of people don't road ride,including me. Too many stupid rednecks to deal with around here even when you don't wear lycra.