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Monday, March 12, 2012

AUSTRALIA - Coffin Cheater dies in crash

OFF THE WIRE
 KATE COUGHLAN
 bordermail.com.au
A MEMBER of the Coffin Cheaters outlaw motorcycle gang has died after he lost control of his bike and crashed into an oncoming car near Whitfield.
The car was driven by a 17-year-old P-plater from Lavington who also had his girlfriend in the car.
Police say gang members were the first to the crash and attempted CPR but the man, 50, died at the scene.
Acting Sgt Patsy Haynes, of Wangaratta highway patrol, said the motorcyclist was travelling north when he lost control of his Harley Davidson on a sharp bend on the Mansfield-Whitfield road near Powers Lookout on Saturday.
“It appears he lost control of the bike and has drifted into the path of an oncoming car,” she said.
“The other riders were scattered behind and came across the scene.
“He was worked on by them and paramedics but they could not revive him.”
Sgt Haynes said the Lavington P-plater was not at fault.
“The driver saw the rider trying to right his bike but it happened so quickly,” Sgt Haynes said.
“He is not at fault, he was doing all the right things.”
“(The driver and his passenger) are both young so they were fairly traumatised by it.”



Sgt Haynes said it appeared both vehicles were travelling below the 100km/h speed limit.
She said alcohol did not appear to be a factor but that a toxicology report would be done.
The crash happened about 2.30pm at Whitlands and the road was blocked in both directions for more than four hours as police investigated.
The motorcyclist was from Yinnar and is believed to be a member of the Gippsland chapter of the Coffin Cheaters.
Sgt Haynes said police had no concerns about the gang.
“As long as they’re not doing anything wrong they’re allowed to be out there riding,” she said.
“We had no reports of them doing anything wrong, we had no calls to police whatsoever.”
The man’s death takes the Border and North East road toll to six, one less than the same time last year.
The crash was one of three involving motorcyclists on the weekend in the Alpine region.
On Saturday a 54-year-old man and his 27-year-old woman passenger were injured on Bogong High Plains Road.
The man suffered a head injury and was flown to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne in a serious but stable condition.
The woman was taken by ambulance to Albury Base Hospital with a broken collarbone.
And yesterday a 51-year-old rider came off his bike, again on the Bogong High Plains Road about five kilometres from Falls Creek.
The man was flown to The Alfred hospital with non-life- threatening arm and chest injuries. Decrease Text Size