A 52-year-old motorcyclist has died after a passing motorist found him lying near his crashed bike on the Nottingham Road Bridge yesterday afternoon (3.25pm 24 April 2019).
NSW Police say it is unknown how long the man had been lying on the road.
He was attended at the scene near Wee Jasper, NSW, by Ambulance Paramedics but sadly died a short time later.
Our condolences to his family and friends.
Police are investigating and have asked anyone with information or dash cam footage to contact Crime Stoppers or phone 1800 333 000.
Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.
A report will be prepared for the Coroner.
Police reports
Unlike Queensland police who report these as single-vehicle accidents, the NSW Police media release made no mention of a likely cause except that he had obviously “come off his bike”.
Police media releases and statements that claim these as single-vehicle accidents before any investigation is concluded raises the spectre that the riders were at fault.
Such assertions should not be made until investigations are completed. Other vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians or a stray animal could have caused the crashes.
In this rural incident, stray livestock or a kangaroo could be at fault. The Wee Jasper area can be plagued with kangaroos.
Claiming that such incidents are single-vehicle crashes can confirm in the minds of the public that riders have a death wish and do not deserve their respect and consideration.
These are dangerous assertions that jeopardise the safety of all riders.
Crash stats
In fact, the statistics show that more motorcycle fatalities are in multi-vehicle crashes.
And in half of those the rider was not at fault.
Last month, Motorcycle Council of NSW chairman Steve Pearce said he feared police assumed crashes riders were guilty until proven innocent.
“I think there is a view that riders are more likely to be at fault in accidents involving motorcycles and that speed is the common factor,” Steve says.
“We see this in single-vehicle accidents involving a motorcycle, where the rider is automatically deemed to be at fault.
“This ignores factors such as road condition, line markings, recent roadworks, lack of signage.”
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com