Motorcyclist killed in Elizabeth Town crash on northwest coast believed to be bikie

AN Outlaws Motorcycle Club member has died and two other riders were injured after their bikes were involved in a crash at Elizabeth Town.

A member of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club died and two other riders were injured after their motorcycles were involved in a crash at Elizabeth Town. Picture: BRUCE MOUNSTER

A 59-YEAR-OLD Outlaws Motorcycle Club member from Victoria has died and two other riders were injured after their motorcycles were involved in a crash at Elizabeth Town.

Police said the victims, who had just arrived in Tasmania on the Spirit of Tasmania, were part of a large motorcycle pack headed towards the St Helens area for the weekend as part of a “national ride”.

A witness told the Mercury the crash scene, on a narrow two-lane section of the Bass Highway about 1km east of the Elizabeth Town Cafe, was “complete chaos” with as many as 100 motorcycles stopped at the scene, with traffic threading through them, as companions performed CPR on a victim before an ambulance arrived.

Two of the victims were taken to the Launceston General Hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

Tasmania Police Commander Brett Smith would not comment on the cause of the crash, but he pleaded with motorcycle club members to ride in single file.

“One of the problems with outlaw motorcycle gangs is that they do ride in clusters. There’s always the risk that bikes will create a domino effect, if one goes – this could have happened on this occasion,” he said.

“We do urge members of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club to ride in single file, ride safely, ride to conditions and obey all traffic laws.”

Acting Inspector Rick Newman said one of the motorcyclists appeared to have come off “and that caused a bit of a chain reaction by the look of it’’.

Commander Smith said the 135 Outlaws members were one group of tourists who were not welcome in Tasmania.

He said an operation involving 60 police officers had been set up to monitor them.

“With a view to making sure that the activities ... are lawful and that their behaviour is commensurate with the standards that we expect in Tasmania,’’ he said.