Sad News - death on the GVBR



cfsmtb

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Just heard very sad news on the ABC 11am news - a cyclist has been killed on the GVBR. :(
 
Cyclist killed on bike ride 28nov05
http://heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,17388082%5E1702,00.html

A CYCLIST taking part in the Great Victorian Bike Ride has been struck and killed by a car in Victoria's north.

The rider was struck on the Murray Valley Highway, 5km east of Gunbower, near Echuca, about 10.15am (AEDT) today, a Rural Ambulance Service spokeswoman said.

It was unclear how the incident occurred, she said.

"We believe the cyclist must have been killed instantly. He was deceased when our crews arrived," the spokeswoman said.

The Great Victorian Bike Ride, organised by Bicycle Victoria, is an annual community event.

This year, it began in Swan Hill on Saturday and was due to end on December 4 in Melbourne.

This year's event attracted almost 4400 riders, including families and school groups, who will ride an average 71km a day – a total 570km – and camp along the way.

The riders were on an 82km leg from Cohuna to Echuca when the accident happened.

The fatality took Victoria's road toll to 315, three more than at the same time last year.
 
ive heard harry on3YawN saying a gust of wind blew the rider over the
centre line
ernie (sans bert) will try to get more after noon as his daughter is on
the ride

ill post as i get it
no info on 'hit/run' aspect of it

shocking news

WHY ARE THEY ON OPEN ROADS?????

riders abilty would be low to poor for a majority of the riders
sure some would be pretty experienced but most would be noobs on the
free bike

D
 
riders abilty would be low to poor for a majority of the riders
sure some would be pretty experienced but most would be noobs on the
free bike

D

Better to wait until all details are avaliable.

Back to those truck driver references, several years ago I had a horrible experience while riding along Williamstown Road in Port Melb. Gusty late afternoon - was in the bike lane when a huge gust caught us & blew bike & I across the road, in the path of a truck, and virtually into the median strip. The driver, amazingly, managed to decrease speed as I threw the bike over onto the grass, promptly sat down & had a sook. Driver stopped, walked back & asked if I was alright and wanted a lift home. Lovely bloke, totally understood WTF had happened. I declined the lift offer & eventually made it home on very wobbly legs. :(
 
Cyclist killed on Great Victorian Bike Ride
By Renee Barnes November 28, 2005 - 1:13PM
http://www.theage.com.au/news/natio...orian-bike-ride/2005/11/28/1133026378716.html

A woman participating in the Great Victorian Bike Ride has died after a
strong gust of wind blew her into the path of a car this morning.

The rider is believed to be in her early 50s. She was struck on the
Murray Valley Highway, five kilometres east of Gunbower, near Echuca,
about 10.15am today.

A police spokesman said she died at the scene.

Bicycle Victoria general manager Harry Barber said the woman was
travelling in a line of cyclists when a gust of wind blew her across
the road into the path of an oncoming four-wheel-drive.

"We have been running this event for more than 20 years, we have ridden
10,000 kilometres with many thousands of cyclists participating and
this is the first death," he said.

"We're obviously very saddened and shocked by this event."

The occupants of the four-wheel-drive, a man and woman from South
Australia, were not injured.

Police are investigating the circumstances of the collision. Bicycle
Victoria and police are working to notify the family.

Cyclists who witnessed the accident are undergoing counselling and a
memorial service will be held at the event camp for the woman tonight,
Mr Barber said.

The ride has been diverted along gravel back roads for the run into
Echuca, he said.

The ride, which is scheduled to finish in Melbourne on Sunday, will
continue.

Tomorrow, participants will have a rest day and riding will continue on
Wednesday.

The bike ride, an annual community event organised by Bicycle Victoria,
began at Swan Hill on Saturday.

This year's event attracted almost 4400 riders, including families and
school groups, who will ride an average 71 kilometres a day - a total
570 kilometres - and camp along the way.

The riders were on the 82-kilometre leg from Cohuna to Echuca when the
accident happened.

- theage.com.au

so its a woman (not a he as thehun reported)
still a bad route and a tragedy

D
 
so its a woman (not a he as thehun reported)
still a bad route and a tragedy

D
sadly it has happened...and even equally sadly the press and media have got it wrong in their headlines...ABC sent out a bulletin reported online too at Optusnet's home pages "Cyclist killed in Road Race" and went on to say the GVBR was a "race"and the cyclist was a "competitor"....so what are they out to prove with that...??

I had to suggest to their news editors as follows:TO ABC NEWS EDITORS ABC Online

"Your headline claims this unfortunate incident happened in a "road race"and that the person killed was a "competitor".
The Great Victorian Bike ride is organised by Bicycle Victoria (www.bv.com.au) as a participation bike ride for the public and its BV members, it is strictly non-competitive and is, among many other objectives, to celebrate road safety awareness of cycling and provide an opportunity for motorists to increase awareness of cyclists as a legitimate presence on the roadway.
Please correct your article's headline and retract your suggestion this was a "race" and the deceased was a "competitor" in a race.
Perhaps condolences to the riders family and friends would be in order too, as would some editorial to encourage motorists to heighten awareness of all road users and suggest roads are not the sole domain of motorised vehicles."

A good practice for all drivers such as they do in the country for horses ( well should any way) is to slow down when a slower vehicle or object is on the road way, irrespective of what direction it is travelling.

In the fullness of time we shall learn what really happened here, but for now sadly we have lost another member of our community to a dreaded 4WD.
 
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> ive heard harry on3YawN saying a gust of wind blew the rider over the
> centre line
> ernie (sans bert) will try to get more after noon as his daughter is on
> the ride
>
> ill post as i get it
> no info on 'hit/run' aspect of it
>
> shocking news
>
> WHY ARE THEY ON OPEN ROADS?????


Where else would they ride?
 
Resound wrote:
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > ive heard harry on3YawN saying a gust of wind blew the rider over the
> > centre line
> > ernie (sans bert) will try to get more after noon as his daughter is on
> > the ride
> >
> > ill post as i get it
> > no info on 'hit/run' aspect of it
> >
> > shocking news
> >
> > WHY ARE THEY ON OPEN ROADS?????

>
> Where else would they ride?


They could do the Great Victorian 1551 laps of a velodrome ride.

Would save a lot on moving campsites too ... And shabby could give them
lessons in trackiquette - don't ride if its raining somewhere within
100km ...
 
>> WHY ARE THEY ON OPEN ROADS?????

>Where else would they ride?


Thanks Resound for pointing this out. Normally a suggestion bikes
shouldn't be on roads would provoke the flames of hell. In the case of
this tragedy, your quiet reminder is appropriate.

Donga
 
Resound said:
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> ive heard harry on3YawN saying a gust of wind blew the rider over the
> centre line
> ernie (sans bert) will try to get more after noon as his daughter is on
> the ride
>
> ill post as i get it
> no info on 'hit/run' aspect of it
>
> shocking news
>
> WHY ARE THEY ON OPEN ROADS?????


Where else would they ride?
guess we have to ride on the creeks and rivers...

its weird , really that a massive majority of drivers behind the wheel of any motorised vehicle take on a scary persona and a belief that no other road user in any lesser sense ( ie: pedestrians, horse riders, cyclists, disabled vehicles, and the wonderfully descriptive "implements" ) have zero...nadda...zip rights to be on that roadway...where did this come from...bikes, horses and carts were here long before motorised vehicles. Where did the law-makers, law-enforcers and driver-educators go wrong?....in simple terms I see it as nothing more than "might is right"...mines bigger than yours so get out of the way or be smashed.....to bad if you get killed or injured in the process.....like the "critical Smash " moron.

damn it...we have all got to do more....slow the traffic down, make all drivers respect the road and driving on it as a priviledge not a right...and one that should be revoked by transgression...not the threat of it...and make any infraction causing concern to a pedestrian, horse rider, cyclists or disabled's cart one that the driver will regret, by loss of that priviledge, immediate loss.

off soapbox....

damn it ...as Peter Finch said (in Broadcast??)..."I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!!!"
 
Bleve wrote:
>
> They could do the Great Victorian 1551 laps of a velodrome ride.
>
> Would save a lot on moving campsites too ... And shabby could give them
> lessons in trackiquette - don't ride if its raining somewhere within
> 100km ...
>


And if you lose count of laps you have to start again.

daveB
 
Can I just say, if I was driving and saw a few hundred cyclists on a long stretch of road I would be inclined to be a bit cautious and slow down - alot.

From the news report its not very clear how it happened. What do they mean by 'oncoming'? Did she get hit head on or from behind?

r.i.p
 
Bleve wrote:
> Resound wrote:
>
>><[email protected]> wrote in message
>>

<snip>

>>>WHY ARE THEY ON OPEN ROADS?????

>>
>>Where else would they ride?

>
>
> They could do the Great Victorian 1551 laps of a velodrome ride.


I'm trying to imagine ~4000 riders on one velodrome at the same time...

Probably an even greater chance of carnage.

--
BrettS
 
gescom said:
From the news report its not very clear how it happened. What do they mean by 'oncoming'? Did she get hit head on or from behind?

r.i.p
Head on. The news was reporting a gust of wind blew her into the path of the oncoming car. If this is true, the driver may well have been doing all the right things, may have slowed down and may have been careful. We just don't know.
 
"BrettS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Bleve wrote:
>> Resound wrote:
>>
>>><[email protected]> wrote in message
>>>

> <snip>
>
>>>>WHY ARE THEY ON OPEN ROADS?????
>>>
>>>Where else would they ride?

>>
>>
>> They could do the Great Victorian 1551 laps of a velodrome ride.

>
> I'm trying to imagine ~4000 riders on one velodrome at the same time...
>
> Probably an even greater chance of carnage.
>
> --
> BrettS


But also a greater chance of TV coverage. They could have viewers voting
riders of the track one at a time.
 
no
i mean why are thew mass of riders on a public road when many are
probably not trained enough to realize tha dangers out there
it takes years to be able to cope with the unexpected on the open road
we all know what 'general' city traffic can be like

im just saying i hope the signage was well done and everyone else on
the ride is ok and makes it back safe
i guess heaps will quit tonight and they will have to quickly come up
with a solution to get those masses home

D