Full name Scott Peoples Role Rider | Discipline Road Name Scott Peoples | |
Died 15 December 2006(2006-12-15)
Merton, Victoria, Australia | ||
Scott Peoples ... a few highlights
Scott Peoples was an Australian 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.
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Accident and inquest
On 15 December 2006, Scott Peoples was struck from behind by a Nissan Patrol 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.
Scott Peoples Foundation
The Scott Peoples Foundation was set up in Scott's honour to assist in the development of junior cycling in Victoria. The foundation organises the annual Scotty's Ride, a recreational challenge ride, and Scotty's Race, a 125 km road race, both held in December each year since 2007.