Not good news

[foo on patrol]

Just been informed that one of my best mates has been killed to day, while out training on the Warrego Highway. His name is Malcom Kamp from Ipswich for anyone out there from our era.

[X-wing]

I'm sorry to hear of your loss.

[dandyandy08]

Bloody awful...thoughts go out to all who have lost.

[you cannot be sirrus]

Terrible news for you, his family and all his other friends.

[foo on patrol]

Thanks, just stunned at the moment after the phone call from my mates. He is the first of my good mates that I've lost and it's like being king hit but without the physical pain.

[CommuRider]

My condolences fop. can you post the whole story? The news flash said a truck was involved.

[Mulger bill]

Damn.

Strength to his family and friends.

[fitz]

Thats sad mate, very sad.

[toolonglegs]

Very sad to hear that .

[foo on patrol]

My condolences fop. can you post the whole story? The news flash said a truck was involved.

I'm not sure of the full story yet but what I have been told is it would appear he was sucked into the semi near Kolo turn off. my mate said the one good thing is, (if there is thing) is that he died instantly and was not torn to pieces.

I am going to contact his wife today and may find out more then, I just couldn't do it last night as it was 9pm and I was numb and couldn't begin to imagine what his wife and sons are going through.

We had known each other for 39yrs since we first started in novices at the age of 14 and 15. He then went onto become Qld and Australian school boys, juvenile and junior sprint and time trial champion. When he stopped cycling he then had a crack at short circuit sidecar rider and picked up an Australian title there with his brother inlaw as the rider.

The thing with all of my mates from the early days of racing is, we new that in times of trouble we were there for each other in a heart beat. That is a bond I have not forged with any one else, that was the best part of my cycling era.

Sorry I have rambled on more that I intended, I just needed to say this to give some back ground on our history.

The news article.

http://www.qt.com.au/story/2011/06/06/c ... o-highway/

[greyhoundtom]

My condolences to you and his family for such a devastating loss.

[Max]

That's terrible. I'm so sorry, foo.

Max

[lovemybike]

Very sad news, really sorry to hear about your friend.

[hosko]

Sorry to hear for you loss mate.

[The Womble]

RIP Mal. He wasn't part of Bernie Ripoll's Springfeild Riders Group was he?

[foo on patrol]

To be honest Womble I couldn't say.

[moreegolfer]

Tragic news FOP, my condolences to you and the deceased's family.

[Le Velo]

RIP to a fellow cyclist and best wishes to his friends and families

[silkishuge]

FOP, sorry to hear of your lost. I can't imagine how you must feel but you, his family and friends are in my thoughts and prayers.

Jon

[familyguy]

Not good news at all. Strength to family and friends.

Jim

[twizzle]

That really sucks.

I'm not sure of the full story yet but what I have been told is it would appear he was sucked into the semi near Kolo turn off.

You don't get 'sucked' into the side of a large vehicle, but it can be almost impossible to keep a bike under control in the turbulence, and there's a tendency to over-correct towards a large vehicle after the initial effect of being blown away by the air displaced off the front. I've nearly done this with an articulated bus - the piece of work went past me with less than 50cm clearance doing 70kph when I was doing about 30km/h in an on-road cycle lane with nowhere to go, and I only just missed touching the bus about 2/3'rd of the way along the side. It's one of the reasons I'm so bloody cautious with heavy vehicles - there's a small percentage of drivers that have no brains.

Anyway... too close, too fast, and the driver won't be held responsible because he "didn't know" it was dangerous. I wonder what the chances are of getting a campaign running along the lines of "one punch can kill", so that heavy vehicle drivers can't claim they didn't know?

[munga]

difference is that you're alive, twizzle.


My condolences to his family and friends.

[jules21]

terribly sorry to hear about this Foo. my sincere condolences.

Anyway... too close, too fast, and the driver won't be held responsible because he "didn't know" it was dangerous.

agreed. it's not a 'tragic accident' - it happens when they pass too close, too fast. it's not just a 'mistake anyone could make' either - the causes of HV crashes are frequently more complex than just driver error, often being related to driver fatigue, which can be caused by unrealistic deadlines being imposed on them. there are laws to hold people accountable for this.

[foo on patrol]

Thanks all.

The only + is he died instantly and he was intact with only a few gravel rashes on his right calf,arm and the side of his face. The coroner report should shed more light as to what actually killed him in the end. Little comfort that is to all of us though, with not being able see him again.

[Drunkmonkey]

terribly sorry to hear about this Foo. my sincere condolences.

Anyway... too close, too fast, and the driver won't be held responsible because he "didn't know" it was dangerous.

agreed. it's not a 'tragic accident' - it happens when they pass too close, too fast. it's not just a 'mistake anyone could make' either - the causes of HV crashes are frequently more complex than just driver error, often being related to driver fatigue, which can be caused by unrealistic deadlines being imposed on them. there are laws to hold people accountable for this.

To be fair to the truck driver, he would have been doing 80 - 100 kph veering left on the highway when he saw the cyclist, with lots of scrub and trees, and he would not have been expecting to see a cyclist. The highway has no cycle lane, and a very very narrow shoulder - it is not cyclist friendly.

Condolonces to the friends and family of the cyclist killed. The young boy in the truck with his father at the time is also going to be severly affected by this (as will his father).

This tradgedy shouldnt be used to rant about drivers........ blah blah blah - it should be an example as to why cycling infrastructure needs to be improved.

At the end of the day, no matter who or what is to blame - a father, brother, uncle and friend has been lost.