18-year-old Noarlunga Downs man arrested after cyclists hit wire traps on Southern Expressway bike path

SA Police have arrested and charged an 18-year-old man after three cyclists reported wire traps on a busy southern suburbs bike way.

Police have arrested and charged an 18-year-old man for allegedly booby-trapping a bike path with wire which has resulted in at least four people being injured.

On Wednesday night, Southern District police arrested and charged the Noarlunga Downs man with four counts of endangering life, following an investigation.

Two cyclists involved in two “sinister” attacks using wire on a bike path have shared stories of their ordeals, with one victim saying the trap could have been “fatal”.

Police investigated “two serious” incidents where an unknown individual had strung thick, metal, fence wire across a bike path and tied it to a tree at Noarlunga’s Southern Expressway.

Cyclist Nadine McMillan speaking to 7News Adelaide after she rode into wire deliberately stretched across a footpath.

Aged care worker Nadine McMillan told 7News Adelaide that she was on her morning commute to work before she became entangled in waist high wire almost knocking her off her bike.

She said she was “shocked” when the incident happened.

“Very … very shocked. It shook me,” she said.

Ms McMillan was riding along the bike path between Honeypot Road and Beach Road before she struck a fence wire that had been strung across the path and tied to a tree.

Her ordeal comes three days after three interstate cyclists were riding along the same path before they were injured by wire spread across the path.

Police said they were also aware of three male cyclists who were caught in the wire on Friday near the Poznan Path foot bridge, and Ms McMillan who struck the wire on Monday.

Cyclist Morgan Billings and his two friends sustained injuries after they all rode into wire fence stretched across a footpath.

One of the cyclists, Morgan Billings, told 7News Adelaide that he and his two friends did not see the wire before it was too late, and said they were lucky to escape with minor injuries.

“Time was non-existent and all three of us rode into it,” he said.

“Yeah, (we’re) quite lucky that it wasn’t slightly higher and aimed at basically trying to, you know, get under our jawline, or headline.

“Because it could have been quite fatal if it had been that extra bit higher.”

All riders sustained serious damage to their “expensive” bikes with a combined cost of around $40,000; and two men suffered “nasty grazes on the knees and elbows” after suffering a fall while travelling at the speed of 35km/h.

It comes after SA Police made an appeal to the public as they search for the person or group responsible for “incredibly serious offending” which has left bike riders fearing for their safety.

Police made a public appeal on Tuesday to identify a man who could possibly assist with the investigation.

The man has now been identified.

The Southern District’s Chief Inspector Mark McEachern said investigations have led them to discover that following the second incident on Monday, the victim recalled seeing a male “walking ahead of her in a northerly direction” between Honeypot Rd and Beach Rd at 6.45am.

Where the incidents happened is along a popular cycling path. Picture: SAPOL

Mr McEachern said they fear the incidents are “far more planned” than they initially hoped for.

“We don’t know whether the offender has actually come and cut the wire themselves or whether it’s an opportunistic thing (and) the wire has already been broken and its being stretched across to a tree on the other side of the bike path,” he said on Tuesday.

“But what we suspected may have been an opportunistic incident … an isolated one … yesterday’s incident has shown it is much more sinister than that.”

“The fact that its happened twice, gives concern that someone is actively coming and cutting (the wires).”

Mr McEachern said “it is obviously incredibly serious offending” coming under the ‘acts endangering life’, which carries a maximum penalty of 18-years imprisonment.

“Why you would do that? Who knows. Stupidity and cowardness come to mind,” he said.

He added, based on his previous experience, the height at which the wire is strung has the potential to cause “life-changing” injuries.

Mr McEachern said they are concerned there are other incidents similar to these that have simply not been reported to police – and urges anyone with information about previous incidents to come forward.

Cyclists are urged to be alert for obstacles as the Tour Down Under starts this Friday.

The man was refused police bail and will appear in the Christies Beach Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Originally published as 18-year-old Noarlunga Downs man arrested after cyclists hit wire traps on Southern Expressway bike path