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21-01-2010, 10:34am
Former aussie champ rider dies in accident
Great rider back in seventies was Australian unlimited champion in 1979 taken out by rider on wrong side of road for chrissake!
http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201001/r499478_2631964.asx
SOUTH Australian motorcycle racing legend Greg Pretty has been killed in a head-on crash with another rider, who also died in the horrific Hills collision.
The champion rider and former SA Sports Star of the Year, and the other man, were pronounced dead at the scene of the collision on the Macclesfield to Echunga road, near Macclesfield.
Pretty, 54, of Enfield, and the other rider, a 51-year-old from Broadview, were travelling in opposite directions.
Police believe the Broadview man, who had been riding a Kawasaki, had crossed to the wrong side of the road when he hit Pretty, who had been riding his Honda with a group of friends.
Pretty's mate of 30 years and former racing competitor Rick Dowsett said the motorcycle community was in shock over the tragic loss.
``He was a top guy, a fierce competitor and true friend to many people,'' he said.
``He won a lot of production races and was very professional about his sport, which he took seriously, but he would have a few drinks now and then with his mates.''
Pretty was also a Duke of Edinburgh Award winner in 1979, the same year he won the Australian Unlimited motorcycle racing title.
He also raced for a short time in the UK in the mid 1970s.
The crash happened at a bend about 50m north of the Monmouth Farm Rd intersection about 11.20am, on a stretch of road locals said was popular with motorcyclists.
The crash takes the number of people killed on SA's roads this week to eight and the state's road toll to 10.
It is the worst start to the year since 2006, when 11 people had died by this time in January.
Senior Sergeant Brenton Rowney, of the Major Crash Investigation Unit, said that the rider of the Kawasaki had made a ``very grave error'' that had cost two lives.
``The Honda was heading south on the correct side of the road, the Kawasaki was coming this way (north) and veered on to the incorrect side of the road for whatever reason and killed both of them,'' he said.
``Clearly this accident today or this collision today is as a result of someone driving outside their skill level.
``If people to continue to do that, no matter what the police do or what members of the public do the road toll will continue to climb.''
The collision happened outside the property of Tracey Conlay, 44, who was alerted to the crash by her barking dog.
Ms Conlay joined an off-duty nurse who had stopped to try and help the men but she said there was nothing they could do.
``I would do it again, and go straight there and try and help,'' she said.
Pretty had been riding ahead of a group of friends, who Mrs Conlay said had described him as a ``legend'' and a ``very good rider'' who had ridden through Europe.
``I'm feeling for the other riders, I sat with them for a while and I can understand their feelings,'' she said.
``And my condolences to the partner of one of the men, you're welcome to come up here to be at the site anytime.''
Great rider back in seventies was Australian unlimited champion in 1979 taken out by rider on wrong side of road for chrissake!
http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201001/r499478_2631964.asx
SOUTH Australian motorcycle racing legend Greg Pretty has been killed in a head-on crash with another rider, who also died in the horrific Hills collision.
The champion rider and former SA Sports Star of the Year, and the other man, were pronounced dead at the scene of the collision on the Macclesfield to Echunga road, near Macclesfield.
Pretty, 54, of Enfield, and the other rider, a 51-year-old from Broadview, were travelling in opposite directions.
Police believe the Broadview man, who had been riding a Kawasaki, had crossed to the wrong side of the road when he hit Pretty, who had been riding his Honda with a group of friends.
Pretty's mate of 30 years and former racing competitor Rick Dowsett said the motorcycle community was in shock over the tragic loss.
``He was a top guy, a fierce competitor and true friend to many people,'' he said.
``He won a lot of production races and was very professional about his sport, which he took seriously, but he would have a few drinks now and then with his mates.''
Pretty was also a Duke of Edinburgh Award winner in 1979, the same year he won the Australian Unlimited motorcycle racing title.
He also raced for a short time in the UK in the mid 1970s.
The crash happened at a bend about 50m north of the Monmouth Farm Rd intersection about 11.20am, on a stretch of road locals said was popular with motorcyclists.
The crash takes the number of people killed on SA's roads this week to eight and the state's road toll to 10.
It is the worst start to the year since 2006, when 11 people had died by this time in January.
Senior Sergeant Brenton Rowney, of the Major Crash Investigation Unit, said that the rider of the Kawasaki had made a ``very grave error'' that had cost two lives.
``The Honda was heading south on the correct side of the road, the Kawasaki was coming this way (north) and veered on to the incorrect side of the road for whatever reason and killed both of them,'' he said.
``Clearly this accident today or this collision today is as a result of someone driving outside their skill level.
``If people to continue to do that, no matter what the police do or what members of the public do the road toll will continue to climb.''
The collision happened outside the property of Tracey Conlay, 44, who was alerted to the crash by her barking dog.
Ms Conlay joined an off-duty nurse who had stopped to try and help the men but she said there was nothing they could do.
``I would do it again, and go straight there and try and help,'' she said.
Pretty had been riding ahead of a group of friends, who Mrs Conlay said had described him as a ``legend'' and a ``very good rider'' who had ridden through Europe.
``I'm feeling for the other riders, I sat with them for a while and I can understand their feelings,'' she said.
``And my condolences to the partner of one of the men, you're welcome to come up here to be at the site anytime.''