Teenager charged with endangering life after wire strung across popular bike path, causing two serious crashes in “stupid, sinister, malicious” attack ahead of Tour Down Under pro races

An 18-year-old man has been arrested and charged with four counts of endangering life after fence wire was strung across a popular bike path in Adelaide, injuring two cyclists and damaging their bikes, in the same week professional cycling teams and fans flock to the South Australia capital for the upcoming Tour Down Under races.

Earlier this week, we reported that two separate incidents took place in the space of three days involving unsuspecting cyclists along the same bike path, which runs next to the Southern Expressway at Noarlunga Downs, a suburb south of Adelaide.

On Friday 10 January, at around 6.20am, a group of three cyclists were brought down by a wire trap – located about a metre off the ground – when they hit it at 35kph during their early morning ride on the paved, off-road two-way cycleway popular with local riders for its traffic-free access.

South Australia Police said the wire had been removed from a fence and then tied to a tree across the path, causing minor injuries to two of the cyclists, one of whom required five stitches near his elbow, as well as "severe damage" to the victims’ bikes.

> Wire strung across popular bike path causes two "serious" crashes ahead of Tour Down Under, days after police chief urged "extra level of vigilance" on roads due to "abundance of cyclists" around pro races

One member of the group, Morgan Billings, told ABC this week that the force of the crash – which took place just after a bend – led to his top tube cracking, handlebars snapping, and helmet breaking.

“We only had a split second where I just yelled out ‘there’s a wire, there’s a wire’, and, before you knew it, we were all stripped from our bikes. We just cartwheeled and scattered,” Billings said.

The cyclist added that while he emerged relatively unscathed from the crash, it was clear the wire was tied across the path “to cause harm”.

“It’s pretty sad that someone’s gone to that extent to do what they’ve done,” he said. “I’ve had constant flashbacks of the incident, and I definitely recall the wire being quite horizontal and it was at approximately waist height, about a metre off the ground.”

Detective Chief Inspector Mark McEachern described the wire’s positioning in a press conference as the “most dangerous height you can possibly get” for cyclists.

And then on Monday morning at 6.45am, on another section of the path, a female cyclist hit another wire trap and crashed. While she managed to escape serious injury, her bike sustained “extensive damage” in the fall.

“It was the same sort of wire, in the very same manner stretched across the bike path,” Chief Inspector McEachern said of the second incident, which he said suggested a “far more sinister motive” than originally suspected.

“Fortunately her handlebars collided with the wire. It ripped those off, so caused damage to her bike, but somehow she wasn’t injured.”

The inspector concluded: “There is somebody actively harming the public by stupidly pulling this wire across the bikeway.”

And on Wednesday, SA Police confirmed that an 18-year-old man from nearby Noarlunga Downs has been arrested in connection with the incidents. He has been charged with four counts of endangering life and refused police bail.

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

The arrest comes days before the start of the women’s and men’s editions of the Tour Down Under, when Adelaide plays host to hundreds of professional riders and thousands of fans visiting the city and South Australia state for the races.

Last week, SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens urged road users to be “extra vigilant” during January, as the WorldTour races will bring an “abundance of cyclists on the road”.

His comments came after a motorist was charged with causing death by dangerous driving in relation to the death of a motorcyclist.

Stevens urged all road users to “use the roads as safely as possible” and said “there is an extra level of vigilance required from people who we consider to be vulnerable road users because the risks are that much greater”.

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

However, despite this week’s shocking attacks, apparently directed at cyclists around Adelaide, a police spokesperson confirmed that the incidents had not prompted any changed instructions to riders ahead of the Tour Down Under.

“While the recent incident in the southern suburbs was particularly concerning, there has been no formal advice provided by race organisers about avoiding the area,” the spokesperson said.

“Cyclists should always remain vigilant and aware of the riding conditions.”

Nevertheless, Billings – who luckily escaped Friday’s wire trap attack without injury – has warned cyclists riding in the area during the Tour Down Under to be cautious.

“Until there’s greater security or greater assurance provided, there’s no chance I’ll be back riding that path,” he said.

“You just want to have that assurance that you can ride without having to have that anxiety that something potentially may happen. It’s of huge concern.”