Wollert cyclist Marc Schulze hospitalised after Bridge Inn Rd suspected hit run truck crash

A Melbourne cyclist has spoken out after a suspected hit and run crash destroyed his $10,000 bike and left him struggling to walk. GRAPHIC IMAGES

A Melbourne cyclist has called out a culture of “resentment” among road users after a suspected hit and run crash destroyed his $10,000 bike and left him struggling to walk.

Wollert schoolteacher Marc Schulze spent eight days in the Royal Melbourne Hospital and remains in a wheelchair with ongoing leg pain after a large truck knocked him off his uninsured bicycle then drove over his foot on Bridge Inn Rd, Mernda in April.

Police have been unable to locate the truck driver who failed to stop after the incident, prompting Mr Schulze to use other avenues like social media to find answers and raise awareness of the risks cyclists regularly face.

“It’s one of those trucks that’s got two sections – so it’s got the trailer at the back with the long tow bar in between,” he explained.

“The first section of the truck came through, which was alarmingly close, and then it knocked me off my bicycle completely, into the tar, rode over my foot and then the back wheels of that rear trailer then rode over my bicycle.”

Passing motorists stopped to call for help and police and paramedics arrived within 10 minutes.

Marc Schulze fears he will never ride again because of injuries to his foot after being knocked off his bike by a truck in Mernda. Picture: Supplied

Mr Schulze, 46, and his wife recently relocated to Australia from South Africa after being sponsored to work in Wollert on a Temporary Skill Shortage visa.

A keen cyclist of 15 years, Mr Schulze wasted no time getting out to explore the roads of his new hometown, and said the day of the April crash was not the first time he had ridden that route.

He added he had significant experience riding overseas on roads much “crazier” than Victoria’s and that it was “ironic” his first serious crash occurred here.

Mr Schulze was travelling east along Bridge Inn Rd when a truck knocked him off his bike. Picture: Supplied

Mr Schulze was reluctant to accuse the truck driver of deliberate wrongdoing but believed it was “almost impossible” for them not to have noticed the collision.

The incident has left him feeling “depressed,” as the reality sinks in he may never be able to ride a bike or walk normally again.

“It was obviously incredibly painful – I still cannot walk now, so my foot was injured irreparably – but there was also a sense of deep sadness because I just knew it was all over, being able to ride again.

“It was like this intuition that I had as soon as it happened. I just had this knowledge that it was done.”

The Friday morning crash left Mr Schulze with serious lower leg injuries and cuts, abrasions, and bruising to his upper body. Picture: supplied

The maths teacher has returned to work and has been attending physiotherapy appointments. He expects to graduate from the wheelchair to crutches next week.

He said he had given up contacting police for updates on the investigation, but hoped going public with his story might help prevent similar incidents in the future.

More bike lanes would be a good start and the relationship between motorists and cyclists also needed improvement.

“Cyclists are sometimes the most hated people,” he said.

“Something needs to happen because cycling is – not just in Australia, but around the world – growing exponentially.

“There needs to a be a better sort of conversation and connection between the cycling community and the motoring community.

“Somehow a campaign or awareness program where people understand cyclists need to toe the line and follow road rules as well as motorists and motorists need to be mindful of them as well.

“It’s a two-way street. It’s never going to just land at one person’s door to fix.”

Tributes were left at the scene where a cyclist died on King St after being struck by a truck in May 2022.

Police confirmed Mr Schulze’s account of the incident but said it was “possible the driver did not realise they were involved in a collision”.

It appeared unlikely charges would be laid.

“Police conducted a series of inquiries into the incident and have been unable to identify the vehicle involved at this time,” a spokesperson said on Sunday.

“Should more information come to light, investigators will make further inquiries,” they said.

Transport Accident Commission data as at June 9 reveals six cyclists have been killed on Victorian roads in 2022, compared to three deaths in 2021.

Anyone who witnessed Mr Schulze’s incident or has dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or file a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au