A cyclist was wearing high-visibility clothing and riding in a bike lane in West Footscray when he was hit and killed by a driver who allegedly then removed his own clothing and fled, a court has heard.
New Zealand national Peter McGuffie, 54, died when hit from behind while riding along Barkly Street about 3.15pm on June 23.
Mr McGuffie was wearing a fluorescent vest and kneepads and the visibility and road conditions were good, Melbourne Magistrates Court heard last Wednesday.
“It was one of those situations where one could ask the rhetorical question, ‘how could you not see him’,” prosecutor Sandra MacDougall told the court.
Police allege Matthew Terrance O’Connor, 27, was seen driving erratically before his ute hit Mr McGuffie.
Mr O’Connor, who is charged with culpable driving causing death and the alternate dangerous driving causing death, as well as hit-run offences and breaching bail, applied for bail last Wednesday, but was refused and remanded in custody.
Ms MacDougall said that after the crash, Mr O’Connor was seen removing his work overalls and was photographed by a witness leaving the scene.
In refusing bail, magistrate Franz Holzer said Mr O’Connor was driving while his licence was suspended and had accrued 28 demerit points.
Defence counsel Christopher Terry called on Mr Holzer to consider the long delay Mr O’Connor faced before a trial, as his committal hearing was not scheduled until June.
– Adam Cooper, The Age
