Crash prompts rider caution on region’s multi-use tracks

The president of South Canterbury’s Mountainbike Club says a two-bike crash on the Saltwater Creek track which left a 60-yearold Timaru woman a paraplegic is a reminder for cyclists to look out for one another when using tracks in the region.

Steve Kroening said the incident, which he was only made aware of since it had been reported in media at the weekend, is a reminder for riders in the region to exercise caution, especially around blind corners and multiuse tracks.

The woman has been in Burwood Hospital’s spinal unit since the crash, which happened on Waitangi Day.

‘‘Crashes do happen,’’ Kroening said.

While the woman did not wish to speak to Stuff about the incident, her friend Nicola Martinovich said since the woman’s story appeared in media at the weekend, it had generated a lot of debate on social media.

Martinovich said the woman hoped to use her situation to ‘‘create awareness’’ of safety concerns and ‘‘perhaps to get more signage on the tracks warning riders’’.

She said the crash has not been reported to police as it didn’t happen on a public road.

Her friend was taking each day as it comes and was concentrating on her rehabilitation, she said.

Following the report, Timaru rider Brett Corry spoke out and said he was the other cyclist involved in the incident. When contacted on Tuesday, Corry reiterated that he believed he had done what he could at the time of the accident to help the woman.

Corry said he had spoken out as he wanted to make sure people knew there ‘‘wasn’t some careless madman biking around the Timaru trails’’.

Kroening said tracks in the region can be particularly busy especially at the weekend.

‘‘There is a code of conduct that if you come across riders the uphill rider has the right of way.’’

He said the fact many tracks in Timaru, particularly in the Scenic Reserve, were multi-use means everyone needed to look out for one another.

‘‘If you’re coming up to a blind corner on those tracks there could be young kids, walkers, runner and people with dogs around that corner.

‘‘You have to slow down,’’ he said. ‘‘Caution is a big thing.’’ Mountain Bike New Zealand has also weighed in on the crash on social media, referring to the situation as ‘‘a massive reminder to ride with consideration’’.