Woman’s horrific collision with Centennial Park cyclists sparks call for safety review

A 70-year-old woman is calling for possible speed cameras for bike riders after she was seriously injured by a cyclist in one of the city’s busiest parks — breaking her collarbone and ribs.

A woman left bleeding, bruised and with broken bones after being hit by a cyclist claims bike riders in Centennial Park have become a serious safety threat and questioned whether the park needs bike speed cameras.

Yet despite a similar incident a month prior which landed a man in intensive care, the park’s management has ­ignored calls to improve safety and claimed they are powerless to stop speeding cyclists.

Liz, 70, said the “Lycra brigade” are acting like a law unto themselves when they peddle faster then the 30km/h limit around the park’s Grand Pde.

The Bondi Junction woman was crossing the road with her dog Martha on September 22 when she was collected by a man clad in Lycra riding a bicycle. She is unsure if he was speeding.

Liz was hit by a cyclist while crossing the road at Centennial Park during a dog walk with her hound Martha. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Liz, who withheld her last name for fear of an online backlash from cyclists, broke five ribs and her collarbone as well as hitting her head on the pavement and suffering ­extensive bruising and ­bleeding.

“I looked to the left and I could see cyclists in the distance but I thought that they were sufficiently far away,” she said.

“The next minute I woke up after being hit. I was in hospital for four days.”

Liz said police told her it was simply an accident and that the man claims he was not speeding.

“Now I’m frightened to come here thinking if I don’t look carefully enough, I could be hit like that again,” she said.
“I don’t know whether they need speed cameras or a safety review.

“People say to me things like ‘cyclists think they’re eco warriors’ and ‘they don’t use any petrol and therefore they’re sort of untouchable’ and ‘doing the right thing by cycling’. But you have to take care of who’s in the park as well.”

Liz suffered a broken collarbone and five cracked ribs.

Liz was hospitalised for four days after the collision.

Bruises covering Liz’s leg.

The collision left her bruised and swollen.

This week the Saturday Telegraph observed numerous cyclists travelling well in excess of the 30km/h limit.

Rangers attended 12 reported collision incidents in the 2019-20 financial year and seven in the 2020-21.

The current traffic arr­angements were reviewed and developed as part of the 2018 Plan of Management.

Former Hornsby mayor Nick Berman, who lives nearby and visits the park almost every day, reported an incident in August where an elderly pedestrian – the father of a colleague – ended up in hospital after being hit by a cyclist.

In a letter to the park he said: “I have nearly been hit on a number of occasions, often when I have been crossing with young children. While I am impressed with the pace that some of these cyclists can ride, it is often well above the 30km/h that cars are restricted to. If this continues, I believe it is only a matter of time before someone else is severely injured.”

In a reply to his letter, the park said: “Cyclists are unfortunately not identifiable by a registration plate or similar as cars are, and it is not always possible or safe for rangers to intercept moving cyclists, particularly if they are travelling at speed and choose not to stop.

“While we do engage with and try to encourage NSW Police to work with us on closer regulation of cyclist speed in the Parklands, it is also difficult behaviour for them to police.”

Greater Sydney Parklands said it “prioritises the safety of all visitors to our parklands”.

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Originally published as Woman’s horrific collision with Centennial Park cyclists sparks call for safety review