OMG! Hugs for Australia

[RoadRaven]

I'm sorry folks

I don't know where to post this... crazy drivers, Australia, Press releases..........

I came here looking for answers and am stunned to see no thread about this yet...

I am sorry if a thread has been started, but in my shock and sadness and disbelief I cannot find it.

Here is the link to an article in this mornings Sydney Herald

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/...?page=fullpage


A few excerpts to give you the flavour...

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.

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.

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.

"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.

"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.