Police seek witnesses to two collisions (cyclist & ped)

[Ross]

https://www.policenews.act.gov.au/news/ ... collisions

Sunday, 4 June 2017, Publish time: 11:26am

ACT Policing is seeking witnesses to two incidents that occurred on Alexandrina Drive, Yarralumla, within a short period of time this morning (Sunday 4 June).

About 6.50am, police received a report that a blue station wagon had collided with a cyclist on Alexandrina Drive, Yarralumla, and fled the scene.

A short time later, the same blue station wagon collided with a pedestrian, also on Alexandrina Drive.

ACT Policing attended both scenes along with the ACT Ambulance Service, who transported both the cyclist and pedestrian to the Canberra Hospital for further treatment. The cyclist received non-life threatening injuries and the pedestrian is in a serious condition.

About 7.50am, police located the blue station wagon in Ainslie and took a man into custody. He is currently assisting police with their enquiries.

ACT Policing’s Collision Investigation and Reconstruction team is investigating and police are calling on any witnesses to assist in the investigation.

Anyone who saw a blue station wagon in the area of Alexandrian Drive, Yarralumla, at about 6.50am is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers ACT website. Please quote reference P1567872. Information can be provided anonymously.

[Ross]

Follow up story

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-new ... wkl7l.html

'He was the devil': Man who allegedly mowed down cyclist, pedestrian appears in court


The purple station wagon allegedly used in two separate hit-and-runs on Sunday.

A man accused of using his car to deliberately mow down a cyclist and a pedestrian in Yarralumla on Sunday believed one of the victims was the devil, court documents suggest.

Ashley Paul Kelly, 32, appeared in court on Monday visibly unwell.

He refused to speak with a Legal Aid duty solicitor in the cells before his appearance and had rested his head on the bar table once in court, occasionally making unintelligible outbursts.

Magistrate Robert Cook charged Mr Kelly with culpable driving before sending him to hospital under guard for a mental health assessment.

A police statement of facts tendered to court suggested Mr Kelly deliberately steered his car towards the two victims, who were cycling and walking on Alexandrina Drive early on Sunday morning.

The cyclist told police he had heard a car's engine rev before it struck him in the side. The car had then braked, throwing him to the ground.

The driver got out and said something like, "you got what you f---ing deserved, you shouldn't have been on the road you f---ing idiot."

The station wagon drove off and the cyclist took a photo of it before calling police, who arrived to the scene before 7am.

Paramedics took the cyclist to hospital where he was diagnosed with a fractured spine.

Police were at the scene of the cyclist's accident when a purple station wagon approached on Alexandrina Drive. A second cyclist yelled out to officers that the car had tried to hit him.

Police indicated for the car, which had extensive damage to the front windscreen and side, to pull over, which it did. When police asked the driver to turn the engine off, he put it into gear and sped away.

The second cyclist returned and said the car had hit someone.

Police found a man about a kilometre away lying on the cycle path with blood coming from his mouth, his arms and legs tucked into his body and one of his shoes about five metres away.

"Visible tyre marks ran through the grass and dirt to the location where [he] was lying," the statement of facts said. "It appeared the vehicle had travelled off the roadway and directly at [him]."

The pedestrian was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with a severely fractured jaw, bleeding on the brain, and a fractured tibia.

Police tracked the purple Daihatsu Pyzar to Mr Kelly's Ainslie address, where they found the car. He was subsequently arrested.

In a police interview that afternoon, he told officers another Ashley Paul Kelly with the same birthday was the Daihatsu's owner.

He denied driving the car that morning.

Mr Kelly also said he had only tried to knock the cyclist off his bike and was not trying to hurt him. He said he'd stopped to check on the cyclist, and asked if he'd "seen the light".

He said he'd hit the pedestrian because he believed "G" was trying to knock "Lucille", a friend of 13 years.

Mr Kelly told police he believed the pedestrian was the devil, and his intention on the footpath had been the black line - death.

He did not enter pleas.

He will return to court on a later date following assessment.

[PA]

Crazy people walk among us, unfortunately they also drive.

Daihatsu Pyzar drivers are endangered species if you remember the advert.

[biker jk]

Playing the crazy card is all too common these days. Funny how they or their families never seek help before the crime. Or when they genuinely have mental health issues they don't take their medication and still plead insanity.

[Thoglette]

Playing the crazy card is all too common these days.

Yes. Once upon a time that would have resulted in indefinite incarceration in prison
At the govenor's pleasure. A fate possibly worse than a life sentence and certainly worse than a fixed sentence.

I understand that there are a few people still 'in limbo' in the system as they are unable to stand trial and unable be released. (One chap in Alice Springs comes to mind - but not his name at this moment).

[cp123]

so hit deliberately hit and injured a cyclist, swerved at the second one (who found the first one and the police etc), and a pedestrian. if he was that psychotic he shouldn't have had access to a car. whether he goes to jail or a mental facility, I hope he's off the road for a loooooooong time!