A dodgy intersection in Melbourne’s west may be responsible for a 22-year-old elite cyclist’s death.
Tributes have poured in for Angus Collins, who was hit by a truck at the intersection of Footscray and Dock Links roads, West Melbourne, just before 12.30pm on Thursday.
The male driver of the truck stopped and assisted police with their inquiries; however, Mr Collins died at the scene.
The death of Mr Collins, a member of the Brunswick Cycling Club, was the third death on Melbourne roads on Thursday and prompted a desperate plea from police for road users to exercise more caution.
Over the weekend BikeWest, a community group advocating for cyclists in the city’s west, said it was “likely” Mr Collins and the truck driver had simultaneous green lights, as both travelled west on Footscray Rd – Mr Collins on a parallel bike path but hidden from a left-turning truck by a large cement pillar.
“The pylon for the elevated freeway creates a large blind spot for drivers,” BikeWest said over the weekend.
It referred to the 2017 death of mother of two Arzu Karakoc, who was hit and killed at an intersection in neighbouring Yarraville when both Ms Karakoc and the driver had green lights, a coroner later found.
“Substandard infrastructure is killing us, we deserve better,” BikeWest said.
The Brunswick Cycling Club said it was “rocked by this incredibly sad news”.
“We lost another cycling soul way too soon and we are humbly reaching out to our community for help, no matter how small, which will be given to Angus’ family,” the club said.
A GoFundMe, set up for Mr Collins’ funeral support, has raised more than $22,000.
Victorian Greens MP Ellen Sandell, who represents the state seat of Melbourne, has called for an urgent fix of the intersection and a parliamentary inquiry into making roads safer for cyclists and walkers.
“The (Footscray Rd and Dock Links Rd) intersection was made even more dangerous by West Gate toll road construction – yet warnings to the state government fell on deaf ears and nothing was done,” she said.
NCA NewsWire has contacted VicRoads for comment.
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