World champion cyclist charged over death of Olympian wife
A world champion cyclist has reportedly been charged over the death of his Olympian wife.
33-year-old Rohan Dennis - who retired from the sport this year - has reportedly been charged with 'death by dangerous driving' after mother-of-two Melissa Hoskins, 32, was 'hit by a car'.
The incident took place in the inner northern suburb of Medindie, Adelaide, at around 8pm on Saturday (30 December).
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Major Crash officers attended the scene along with detectives from Eastern District CIB before Melissa was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for treatment.
She passed away overnight.
Without naming anyone, South Australia Police said 'the driver is known to the woman'.
SA Police told LADbible they are unable to confirm the names of those involved due to privacy laws in South Australia, though it has been widely reported in Australian media that the man and woman are Rohan and his wife Melissa.
"A woman has died and a man has been arrested following a crash at Medindie last night," SA Police said in a statement on 31 December.
"Just after 8pm on Saturday 30 December, police and emergency services were called to Avenel Gardens Road after reports that a woman had been hit by a car.
"A 32-year-old Medindie woman suffered serious injuries and was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for treatment.
"Sadly, she died in hospital overnight.
"Major Crash officers attended the scene along with Detectives from Eastern District CIB to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
"The driver is known to the woman.
"Following an investigation, a 33-year-old Medindie man has been arrested and charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving without due care and endangering life.
"He was bailed to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on 13 March."
The woman’s death is the 114th life lost on SA roads this year, compared to 71 at the same time last year, police said.
Rohan and Melissa got married in 2018 and had two children together.
She was a world champion cyclist in the team pursuit in 2015 and competed at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic games.
Following the Rohan's retirement at the end of the 2023 season, he paid tribute to his wife in a heartfelt Instagram post.
"Thank you Melissa Dennis for supporting me throughout my entire professional career, all while raising two of the best kids I could ever ask for," the post read.
Just days before the incident, the family posed for a photo shown on Rohan's Instagram in front of a Christmas tree.
The caption read: "Merry Christmas from our family to yours."
Topics: Sport, World News, Olympics
Anish Vij