Professional road racing cyclist Rohan Dennis was charged with the death of his wife, former Olympian Melissa Hoskins, after a car accident on Saturday night. Dennis was released on bail and is due to appear at the Adelaide Magistrates Court on March 13.
Per a report from the Australian Broadcast Corporation, the police statement said that the 33-year-old man, who was not named, had been "arrested and charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving without due care and endangering life." Hoskins allegedly grabbed the door handle of a vehicle Dennis was driving and she fell to the ground.
She suffered serious injuries and was rushed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for treatment, but died in hospital overnight.
Hoskins was a member of the Australian track cycling team that finished fourth at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She won gold in the women's team pursuit at the 2015 world championships and retired from professional cycling two years later. Hoskins and Dennis married in 2018 and had two children.
"The AOC has expressed the utmost sadness at the loss of Olympic cyclist Melissa Hoskins after the tragic events in Adelaide," a social media post by the Australian Olympic team read. "Our condolences go to Melissa's family, friends and the cycling community at this extremely difficult time."
The AOC has expressed the utmost sadness at the loss of Olympic cyclist Melissa Hoskins after the tragic events in Adelaide.
— AUS Olympic Team (@AUSOlympicTeam) December 31, 2023
Our condolences go to Melissa’s family, friends and the cycling community at this extremely difficult time. pic.twitter.com/oh8Z8w2qf8
Dennis was a podium finisher at the 2012 London Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Games. He is also a two-time world time trial champion and a stage winner at the Tour de France.
He was scheduled to lead a family ride at the Tour Down Under on Jan. 13. However, he was dropped from his role due to the recent incident.
