In what’s being described as a “freak accident”, a group of NINE cyclists have been hit by a 4WD in northern Victoria early this morning.
The group was riding on Mitchell Road, at Kialla near Shepparton, about 6.40am when it’s believed they moved onto the other side of the road to avoid a dead kangaroo, at which point they were struck by an oncoming car.
Shepparton police Sergeant Steve Murray said the leader of the pack managed to avoid the roo, but several others in the group didn’t have time to swerve.
“The others have hit the roo and gone down and there’s been a bit of a concertina effect,” Sergeant Murray told media.
One of the cyclists – a male – was trapped beneath the vehicle, and has since been flown to The Alfred hospital with significant head, chest and leg injuries.
Three other riders were also injured, but are currently in a stable condition at Goulburn Valley Base Hospital.
The incident is being investigated, but Shepparton Police Highway Patrol suspect the rising sun might have affected the cyclists’ visibility of the road / roo.
We’ll update the story as more comes to light.
Source and photo: 9News.
