Two lives have now been claimed by a crash in Canberra’s north last week, after a 39-year-old man died in hospital yesterday evening.
On Thursday morning last week, at about 6:20am, ACT Policing said a car “ploughed” into a group of five cyclists on Gungahlin Drive in Palmerston, between Wells Station Drive and Kosciusko Avenue.
A 32-year-old female rider died at the scene, while a 39-year-old man was taken to hospital in a critical condition.
Members of the public, including an off-duty nurse and police officer, assisted the injured cyclists ahead of emergency services arriving.
This morning, ACT police confirmed the second cyclist had died in hospital, bringing the number of deaths on ACT roads this year to 11.
A group of five cyclists cyclists were involved in the crash on Gungahlin Drive. (ABC News: Luke Stephenson)
The cyclists were part of the ACT’s triathlon community, with the group last week describing the crash as “shocking”.
“This incident is a reminder that the roads are a shared space and all we ever want, whether you’re a driver or a cyclist, is to get home safe,” ACT Triathlon president Lara Lever said.
Following the crash, Detective Inspector Mark Steel said the driver of the vehicle, a 40-year-old woman, was assisting police with enquiries.
No charges have yet been laid.
Detective Inspector Steel said police were appealing to “anybody with information or dash cam footage of the cyclists on Gungahlin Drive, or a Hyundai Accent, light blue in colour, with ACT registration YND94Q”.
In a Facebook post today, ACT Triathlon acknowledged the impact the two deaths had had on the community.
“This loss has been deeply felt across the ACT triathlon and wider cycling communities,” the group said.
“In the weeks ahead, we will work together to support one another and provide opportunities for our community to come together.
“Our strength as a community has always been in the way we show up for one another. Now is one of those times.”