Family of cyclist Daryl Adams killed by truck in Coorong tells court of ongoing grief

The household of a bicycle owner who was killed whereas driving from Melbourne to attend the Tour Down Below in 2019 later retraced his last journey and stopped at every spot he took a photograph, a court docket has heard.

Melbourne bicycle owner Daryl Adams, 60, was left to die on the aspect of the highway after being hit by a truck in South Australia’s Coorong in January 2019.

Daniel Luke Barry, 39, was discovered responsible of harmful driving after a trial in Mount Gambier, and is awaiting sentencing within the District Court docket.

He’s disputing leaving the scene of the accident, claiming he did not know he had hit the cyclist because he was listening to music.

Choose Stephen McEwen is but to rule on the factual dispute.

Right now, Mr Adams’s household learn statements to the court docket, describing their deep sense of loss and heartbreak over his sudden demise.

Jenny Adams instructed the District Court docket that her husband had been her dancing companion for greater than three a long time and their future collectively had been taken from her.

“I’ve not simply misplaced my husband however my kids’s father and my dancing companion of 35 years.

“Daryl was much-loved and I miss him terribly. I nonetheless see his form face in my thoughts and I hope that picture won’t ever depart me.”

‘We adopted the route Daryl took’

Mr Adams’s sister Jan Cleeman instructed Choose McEwen that her brother would at all times greet kids first, then animals earlier than saying hiya to adults.

“All of us knew Daryl was particular — he had such an excellent love, not just for his two sons, however for his nieces and nephews who all adored him,” she mentioned.

“We now need to endure the early lack of Daryl and there are reminders of his demise every single day.

“We consider Daryl with each bicycle owner we see, we consider Daryl with each truck we see.”

His niece Ashlea Cleeman instructed the court docket that her “enjoyable and foolish uncle Daryl” would at all times share tales from his biking journeys.

“We could not naked pondering of Daryl alone in a unique state so we selected the Sunday after his demise to load up two automobiles and begin the journey to Kingston,” she mentioned.

“We adopted the route Daryl took so we may see what he noticed, stopping at each cease he made and discovering all of the spots he took images at so we could possibly be nearer to him realizing he was standing in the identical spot a number of days earlier.

“I am unable to describe the sensation all of us had, driving alongside the identical stretch of highway that Daryl rode — counting down the kilometres till we knew we might reached his last resting place.”

Choose McEwen will sentence Barry at a later date.