Leopold: Police identify man killed in Portarlington Rd motorcycle crash
A Whittington man has been identified as the motorcyclist killed in Leopold on Thursday.
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Mourners have paid tribute to a man killed in horrific motorcycle crash at Leopold.
The 27-year-old Whittington man died on Thursday when his crashed into a sign while riding a motorbike along Portarlington Rd about 7.45am.
Victoria Police confirmed a passer-by came across the crashed motorbike and called triple-0.
On Friday mourners left floral tributes at the site.
An unnamed witness told the Geelong Advertiser the motorbike looked like it had caught fire after the crash, and “was in a bad way.”
The crash occurred on a Portarlington bound stretch of highway, between Moss and Kensington roads.
Victoria Police are still investigating the cause of the crash.
The death marks the region’s second motorcycle fatality this week, after a man was killed and a woman critically injured during an accident at Charlemont on Tuesday.
The woman was flown to The Alfred hospital. On Friday, she remained in hospital in a stable but serious condition.
Assistant commissioner for road policing Glenn Weir said the surge in motorcycle accidents was likely due to the rising cost of living.
“We believe that rising fuel costs, increasing prices of cars and public transport avoidance are all factors that have led to an increase in motorcycle riding,” he said.
“Concerningly for police, October to December is historically one of the highest-risk periods for motorcycle trauma, however we are already trending well above previous years.”
It comes as Operation Scoreboard is set to ramp up it’s road policing across the state, targeting speeding, distracted and impaired drivers during the AFL long weekend.
Another life lost on roads
A motorcyclist has died after crashing into a sign along a major Leopold road.
Victoria Police confirmed a passer-by came across the crashed motorbike about 7.45am on Thursday and called triple-0.
The male rider sustained critical injuries and died.
“It is believed a motorcycle crashed into a sign alongside Portarlington Rd,” a police spokesperson said.
“The rider of the motorcycle, who is yet to be formally identified, died at the scene.”
The crash occurred on a Portarlington bound stretch of the highway, between Moss Rd and Kensington Rd.
Officers were still on scene by 10am and were investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
An unnamed witness told the Geelong Advertiser the motorbike looked like it had caught fire after the crash.
The exact cause of the crash is still under investigation.
It comes just days after a man was killed and a was woman critically injured in another motorcycle accident at Charlemont, south of Geelong.
A spokesman from The Alfred said on Thursday the woman remained in a serious, but stable, condition.
Victoria Police has warned the state is on track to exceeding the highest number of motorcyclist fatalities recorded in the last five-years.
Assistant commissioner for road policing Glenn Weir said there has been 39 motorcycle fatalities this year.
This is higher than the five-year average of 27.
“More motorcycles on Victorian roads has led to an increase in motorcycle trauma in 2022,” he said.
“We believe that rising fuel costs, increasing prices of cars and public transport avoidance are all factors that have led to an increase in motorcycle riding.
“Concerningly for police, October to December is historically one of the highest-risk periods for motorcycle trauma, however we are already trending well above previous years.
“We need to do everything we can to prevent more rider deaths and serious injuries from occurring.”
The region lost another motorist following a fatal collision in Weering on Tuesday.
A man was killed in the Colac-Otway Shire area, after a blue Hyundai and Nissan 4WD collided on Barpinba Road just before 2pm.
Colac Highway Patrol officers are investigating the cause of the collision.
Police are appealing for anyone with information, dashcam or CCTV footage from any of the incidents to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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Originally published as Leopold: Police identify man killed in Portarlington Rd motorcycle crash
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