A Canberra cyclist has been seriously injured after being hit by the driver of a car in Woden. According to The Canberra Times, ACT Policing believe the driver and the cyclist were previously involved in an altercation on Hindmarsh Drive before the crash occurred a short time later. The rider was taken to hospital with facial injuries. The driver fled the scene and police are seeking information from witnesses who may have seen the incident.
On Tuesday, a cyclist was taken to hospital in Townsville after being hit by a driver in North Ward. As reported by The Townsville Bulletin, the incident occurred in the early hours of the morning, and the rider was treated at the scene for shoulder and arm injuries before being transported to hospital.
A teenage boy was hit be the driver of a car in Darwin last Friday. As The NT News reported, the 15-year-old was riding during rush hour near a major intersection in Bayview when he was hit and suffered significant injuries. Major Crash Investigations were called to the scene and the 67-year-old driver’s car was taken in as evidence. The cyclist was taken to hospital in serious condition.
In Newcastle, a 27-year-old cyclist has plead guilty in a local court to not wearing a helmet while riding. According to The Newcastle Herald, the Merewether man also faces three charges to which he has plead not guilty, including resisting arrest, riding recklessly, and crossing a level crossing while a tram was approaching. The accused has complained that he was violently assaulted by police during his arrest, and mobile phone footage has emerged showing police punching and kicking the man, as well as throwing his bicycle to the ground. Newcastle police told The Herald that they had reviewed the incident internally and decided not to take further action.
In infrastructure news, work has commenced on a new cycleway that will span the 1.1 kilometre distance between Merewether Beach and Glebe Road in Newcastle. As reported by the ABC, the work is part of the city’s response to COVID-19 and will eventually link up with a future cycleway running to the City Centre. Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes told the ABC the council was responding to community demand for “active transport methods that are safe” and separated from other vehicles.
Pedalling for Change 