Advertisement

Elderly man hit by cyclist while crossing road - but who was at fault?

Debate is raging about who was at fault after a cyclist smashed into an elderly man attempting to cross a busy Melbourne road.

With peak hour traffic bringing motorists to a standstill, dashcam footage shows the cyclist making his way in between the two gridlocked lanes on Racecourse Road in Flemington on Saturday afternoon.

At the same time an elderly man runs through the stopped traffic and appears to hesitate in front of a black car before making a run for it, unaware of the cyclist hurtling towards him.

It’s understood the pedestrian was waved through by a motorist who indicated that he had a clear path - but as the dramatic footage shows, that was far from the case.

The pedestrian can be seen moving in front of the stationary car. Source: 7 News
The pedestrian can be seen moving in front of the stationary car. Source: 7 News

The pair were both sent crashing to the ground, with the pedestrian lucky to escape with just cuts and grazes. The condition of the cyclist remains unknown.

While some have accused the pedestrian of jaywalking, others are adamant the cyclist is at fault for sneaking in between two lanes of traffic.

Triple M host Luke Bona told Sunrise the collision could probably have been avoided if the elderly man had simply used the pedestrian crossing.

“At first I thought the pedestrian is in trouble here,” Bona told Sunrise.

The cyclist makes his way in between the two lanes unaware of the pedestrian's location. Source: 7 News
The cyclist makes his way in between the two lanes unaware of the pedestrian's location. Source: 7 News

“He clearly was not crossing at a pedestrian crossing, I reckon had he been, the cyclist would have been more cautious.”

But he also questioned whether the cyclist should have been riding between the cars.

Ben Davis from 4BC Brisbane added that while cyclists do have an obligation to give way to pedestrians, the elderly man still should have checked for oncoming traffic

“Lucky it was just a cyclist, it could have very easily been a motorbike,” he said.

Neither party technically broke the law with their actions as cyclists are legally allowed to travel through stopped or slow-moving traffic in Victoria.

The pair came to a smashing halt. Source: 7 News
The pair came to a smashing halt. Source: 7 News

Pedestrians are also legally allowed to cross within 20 metres of a prescribed pedestrian crossing.

Yahoo7 has contatected VicRoads for comment on the incident.

“This case highlights the importance of both cyclists and pedestrians sharing the road safely,” VicRoads said in a statement sent to 3AW Mornings.

“Pedestrians must use the correct pedestrian crossings, especially on busy roads, and look out for other road users, not just stationary vehicles.

“Pedestrian crossings are there to ensure safety of some of our most vulnerable road users, including elderly pedestrians who may be at greater risk.”

For more 'Hot Topic' discussions, tune in to https://au.news.yahoo.com/sunrise/ from 5am on weekdays.