Blacktown bridge crash victim Corey Vitnell had a ‘big heart’
The death of an ‘adventurous’ teenager on a motorised bicycle in Sydney’s west has sparked warnings about their risks to riders and pedestrians. Corey Vitnell has been remembered as a loyal Canterbury Bulldogs fan with ‘contagious smile and big heart’.
NSW
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The death of an “adventurous” teenager on a motorised bicycle in Sydney’s west has sparked warnings about their risks to riders and pedestrians.
Corey Vitnell was riding a modified mountain bike with a petrol motor when he lost control and crashed into the metal railing of a bridge at Jack Myers Field in Blacktown on Tuesday night. The 17-year-old suffered head injuries and could not be revived.
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His shattered relatives took to social media on Wednesday to post a tribute, saying he had an appetite for adventure and loved his job helping train horses.
“Corey was on his way to the shop when he lost control of his bike, (he) sustained serious head and chest injuries and passed at the scene,” the family wrote.
“At 17 years old, Corey was just beginning his adventurous life with this contagious smile and big heart. There is no greater loss than the loss of a loved one, particularly a child.”
Another relative wrote: “He was a massive Bulldogs fan and also a Queenslander, which I wouldn’t agree on but I’ll let you have this one Corey. He worked at the races training horses, he loved his job and he was going far but his life was cut short and I would do anything to bring him back.”
Police confirmed Corey was riding a bike with a “modified petrol motor” and that he was not wearing a helmet.
In 2014, the NSW government made it illegal for petrol and high powered electric bikes to be used on footpaths, shared paths, on the road or in public parks due to the high risk to riders and pedestrians.
Bicycle motor kits are not readily available in Australia and can be legally used if they are comply with the NSW e-bike restrictions of being under 250 watts.
However, there are a slew of DIY engine kits available from overseas that use petrol and power in excess of 250 watts. Modified bicycles have flooded online classifieds and second-hand websites in the last five years and can be bought online for as little as $200.
Bicycle NSW’s Bastien Wallace told The Daily Telegraph the altered bikes could be dangerous and reach speeds of 60 to 70km/h.
“The bicycle shouldn’t be pushed faster than it is designed, that’s when problems can emerge,” Ms Wallace said.
One man told The Daily Telegraph youths in the area regularly rode “gassers”.
A teenage boy who died after crashing his motorised mountain bike last night has been remembered as a loyal Canterbury Bulldogs fan who had a “contagious smile and big heart”.
Corey Vitnell’s family confirmed he was riding the motorised bike when he lost control and crashed on a bridge leading to Jack Myers Field in Blacktown about 5pm.