Cycling Fatality - Yorke Peninsula - 5 March '10

[Dr_Mutley]

Unfortunately someone has lost their life while out cycling this morning on the Yorke Peninsula in SA. Be careful everyone, especially here in SA with the Long weekend....

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 5837209384

[Missy24]

Moved to South Australia

[Dr_Mutley]

Moved to South Australia

why? is it not of national interest??

EDIT: fixed typo in title...

[brauluver]

The driver of the Ford, a Minlaton man, 59, was charged with aggravated causing death by dangerous driving.

Does this mean it was deliberate, and not really an accident as such?

[Dr_Mutley]

The driver of the Ford, a Minlaton man, 59, was charged with aggravated causing death by dangerous driving.

Does this mean it was deliberate, and not really an accident as such?

not sure brau... tragic either way i guess, will have to watch that for further developments.... my guess is it was a driver either doing something very stupid, or driving in a state of undue care and tragically killed someone....

[Blacktop]

Apparently the driver had lost his licensee license so should not have been on the road.

[318ute]

why? is it not of national interest??
We are South Australian not Australian I think?

You would hope with all the recent focus on the other cycling tradgey in SA thats back in the courts that SAPOL and legal people will hopefully take things a little more seriously?
Until a driver is charged and given a heavy penalty from the courts for causing injury or death, it would appear we are second class road users!
Also as stated in a general discussion thread of similar interest to this thread I agree there some types of vehicles more likely to have disregard for cyclists and I 100% agree with the comment tip truck's get way too close and are one of the major culprits..

In closing comments as always, our thoughts are with families and friends of both parties..

[Dr_Mutley]

why? is it not of national interest??
We are South Australian not Australian I think?

not sure which way ur swinging with this?...
given every cycling crash on the eastern seaboard gets a run in the general forum, i didnt think it was off the mark at all by originally posting this in the general forum, as i would be of interest to everyone, not just SA. I guess i was wrong....

WRT to driver not having a licence, it is tragic that this fatality shouldve been avoided, given the previous disqualification...

[SeanB]

This was posted on Adelaide Cyclists.

The cyclist was Chris Hudson, a VLCC member who lived in Minlaton. The driver was allegedly disqualified from driving, and a friend of Chris. 'Aggravated' does not mean deliberate. Chris was one of a number of local riders from that area that paricipated in the annual Tour of Minlaton, held in April each year. I come from that area too, and I know how (a) treacherous the roads are, and (b) how rare cyclists are, and therefore how little the locals expect to see them on the road. This is a tragedy beyond words.

http://www.adelaidecyclists.com/xn/deta ... ment:10603

I imagine this would have an effect on the whole town.

[318ute]

Dr_Mutley,
I agree with your sentiments, this thread is really no different to the other road collision threads from all parts of the country in the general discussion area.
As SA people, we are generally treated differently to the wider east coast audience, even the news on TV is slanted towards the east coast, so I am not surprised this thread was moved.
Hence my refence to the general discussion thread.

So no harm no foul..

[CommuRider]

Jailed!



Wow. No wimpy community service but jail time

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011 ... 165514.htm

An unlicensed driver who hit and killed a cyclist on Yorke Peninsula in South Australia last year has been sentenced to nearly two years in jail.

David John Bennett, 60, was driving to work south of Minlaton in March when he knocked over and killed 56-year-old cyclist Chris Hudson.

The District Court was told Bennett had been disqualified from driving and been put on a bond about three weeks before the crash for other driving offences.

Bennett pleaded guilty to aggravated driving without due care and was sentenced to eight months in prison.

He will spend an additional 15 months in prison for breaching his bond.

The victim's wife, Denise Hudson, says Bennett should have been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, which carries a more severe penalty.

"There's a big gap between them and there should be something in between," she said.

Bennett will be eligible for parole next April but will be disqualified from driving until October 2017.

[CommuRider]

Is this only relevant to SA?

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/call-for- ... 6022538177

Causing death by dangerous driving carries a maximum penalty of 15 years for a basic offence and life for an aggravated offence.

Both attract a loss of licence of 10 years.

Driving without due care attracts a maximum of just 12 months and a licence loss of no less than six months.

[MichaelB]

At least there was some jail time, when compared to that other infamous SA case with a dodgy lawyer McGee.

Still sad beyond words though. 8 months for killing someone, but 15 montyhs for other driving offences ? Say What ?

[ozzi supercub]

Still sad beyond words though. 8 months for killing someone, but 15 montyhs for other driving offences ? WT? ?

I am stunned.
What is going on. If this person had conned some people out of their money he would have got a much more severe penalty. Thoughts go out to the family involved.