Neighbours try to revive torched West Footscray ghost bike

A bike locked to a lamppost in West Footscray and covered in flowers as a memorial to a hit-and-run victim killed three years ago has been set on fire in what neighbours have called a ‘senseless, pointless’ act.

A memorial bike to remember hit-run victim Peter McGuffie was set on fire last week.

Neighbours have been left horrified after a person torched a ghost bike in West Footscray.

The bike, that was painted white and covered in flowers to remember a cyclist who died after a hit-and-run in West Footscray three years ago, was set on fire last Friday.

A ghost bike is a bicycle roadside memorial to remember a cyclist that was killed or severely injured by a driver.

New Zealander Peter McGuffie was struck from behind while riding his bike down Barkly St in June, 2016.

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The 54-year-old cyclist was left to die on the roadside.

Matthew Terrance O’Connor, 28, pleaded guilty to killing Mr McGuffie while driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and was jailed in October 2017 for five years.

Shortly after the fatal crash, neighbours locked a white-painted bicycle to a lamppost where the fatal incident occurred.

The now incinerated frame is covered in ash and still locked to the lamppost.

The ghost bike before it was torched.

Neighbours have tried to revive the memorial by covering it in flowers.

Helen Simons had been replacing the flowers on the bike for almost three years before it was set alight, and said torching the bike was a “senseless, pointless, heartbreaking” act for the people who lived on the street.

“The crash happened outside my driveway. We wanted his New Zealand family to know how much we cared,” Ms Simons said.

Neighbours have bought fake flowers to try and revive the memorial.

“We felt like we knew him.”

Ms Simons said even bus drivers would slow down and swing around the bike to acknowledge the memorial.

“I don’t understand how people can do this,” she said.

Ms Simons said the bike might be replaced but she feared it would be set on fire again.

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