Scott Peoples
Encyclopedia
Scott Peoples was an Australia
n road racing cyclist with an emerging career in professional cycling before his death at the age of 20 in a training accident in regional Victoria
. Before his death he had won two stages of the Tour of Southland
and placed 3rd overall in the Tour of Tasmania. He was a member of Australia's youth cycling team and a Victorian Institute of Sport
scholarship holder.
four-wheel drive while training on a two lane country highway in Merton, Victoria
, and died at the scene. The 73 year old driver of the vehicle, Kenneth Blay, later pleaded guilty to a charge of reckless driving and was fined $3000 and disqualified from driving for 3 years.
People's family pressed the Victorian Coroner
to hold an inquest into his death on the grounds of how such a collision could occur on a clear day, along a straight stretch of road, with a cyclist wearing bright coloured clothes. The Coroner accepted the request and hearings started in August 2008. The Bicycle Federation of Australia
was invited to make a submission to the inquest.
The inquest heard evidence that Kenneth Blay suffered a stroke three years before the accident, suffering loss of vision and was told by a doctor not to drive. The court also heard Mr Blay hit another cyclist in 2004 in similar circumstances, causing the rider to suffer a broken leg. The lawyer for the Peoples family submitted to the Coroner that he consider recommending legislation making it mandatory for doctors to report any person they believe unfit to hold a licence to VicRoads
.
Hearings in the inquest, case number 4776/06, were concluded in December 2009. The coroner's findings are expected to be delivered after several months.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n road racing cyclist with an emerging career in professional cycling before his death at the age of 20 in a training accident in regional Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. Before his death he had won two stages of the Tour of Southland
Tour of Southland
The Tour of Southland is a road bicycle racing stage race held in the Southland Region of New Zealand. From 2005 until 2009, the Tour of Southland has been part of the UCI Oceania Tour however the 2010 event was held as a National Tour. The Tour is held annually in November. The race is organised...
and placed 3rd overall in the Tour of Tasmania. He was a member of Australia's youth cycling team and a Victorian Institute of Sport
Victorian Institute of Sport
The Victorian Institute of Sport is the government-funded sporting institute of the Australian state of Victoria. It runs a number of programs for sports training. The headquarters are located in Melbourne. The inaugural executive director of the institute was Frank Pyke....
scholarship holder.
Accident and inquest
On 15 December 2006, Scott Peoples was struck from behind by a Nissan PatrolNissan Patrol
The Nissan Patrol is a four-wheel drive vehicle manufactured by Nissan in Japan since 1951. In Japan since 1980, it has been known as the Nissan Safari. The Patrol is available in Australasia, Central and South America, South Africa, parts of Southeast Asia and Western Europe as well as Iran and...
four-wheel drive while training on a two lane country highway in Merton, Victoria
Merton, Victoria
Merton is a small town on the Maroondah Highway in north-east Victoria, west of Bonnie Doon.Merton Post Office opened on 1 July 1858.The railway to Mansfield arrived in the town from Tallarook in 1890, and closed on November 18, 1978...
, and died at the scene. The 73 year old driver of the vehicle, Kenneth Blay, later pleaded guilty to a charge of reckless driving and was fined $3000 and disqualified from driving for 3 years.
People's family pressed the Victorian Coroner
Coroners Court of Victoria
The name of "Coroners Court" is the generic name given to proceedings in which a Coroner holds an inquest in Victoria.-Jurisdiction:Coroners have jurisdiction over the remains of a person and the power to make findings in respect of the cause of death of a person...
to hold an inquest into his death on the grounds of how such a collision could occur on a clear day, along a straight stretch of road, with a cyclist wearing bright coloured clothes. The Coroner accepted the request and hearings started in August 2008. The Bicycle Federation of Australia
Bicycle Federation of Australia
The Bicycle Federation of Australia was the peak Australian body representing non-competitive cyclists, and directly represented over 20,000 cyclists who belonged to its affiliated groups in all states of Australia...
was invited to make a submission to the inquest.
The inquest heard evidence that Kenneth Blay suffered a stroke three years before the accident, suffering loss of vision and was told by a doctor not to drive. The court also heard Mr Blay hit another cyclist in 2004 in similar circumstances, causing the rider to suffer a broken leg. The lawyer for the Peoples family submitted to the Coroner that he consider recommending legislation making it mandatory for doctors to report any person they believe unfit to hold a licence to VicRoads
VicRoads
VicRoads or the Roads Corporation of Victoria is a statutory corporation which is the state road and traffic authority in the state of Victoria, Australia. It is responsible for maintenance and construction of the state arterial road network, as well as driver licensing and vehicle registration. ...
.
Hearings in the inquest, case number 4776/06, were concluded in December 2009. The coroner's findings are expected to be delivered after several months.