Olympic cyclist Melissa Hoskins hit by car, killed; husband Rohan Dennis arrested

Rohan Dennis, the husband of world champion cyclist Melissa Hoskins, has been arrested and charged in her death, according to The BBC.

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Dennis, an Olympic cycling champion and world title winner, was charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving without due care and endangering life after Hoskins, 32, died. She had been struck by a car on Saturday night in Adelaide’s inner north.

While several media outlets have named Dennis as the person arrested in Hoskins’ death, a police spokesperson said they do not confirm the names of victims or the accused involved in an incident.

Hoskins was struck by the vehicle in her neighborhood, according to police.

Hoskins allegedly jumped onto the hood of the vehicle her husband was driving and grabbed at a door handle before the vehicle was driven off and she fell to the ground, the BBC reported.

While Dennis was not named in the statement, police said the driver was known to the woman and has been released on bail until March.

The Daily Mail reported that Hoskins may have been dragged along by the vehicle, with the incident captured on a neighbor’s security camera.

Hoskins’ parents, Peter and Amanda, and her sister, Jess, released a statement on Tuesday.

“Myself, Amanda, Jess and families, are utterly devastated and still struggling to process what has happened,” the family said. “Not only have we lost a daughter and sister, her children have lost their mum, a freewheeling spirit, a giver with a big heart, patience and zest for life.

“She was the rock of their life and ours and we need to honour her memory so they can grow up knowing who she was, what she stood for and what she gave to everyone whose life she touched.”

Dennis, 33, won two world titles in the road time trial, as well as silver in the team pursuit at the London Olympics and bronze in the road time trial at the Tokyo Olympics. He wore the yellow jersey as race leader at the Tour de France by winning the opening time trial in 2015, setting a race record for his average speed.

Hoskins competed at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics in the team pursuit and was in the team that won the 2015 world title in France.

She was injured in a pile-up days before the 2016 Rio Games event and, after riding in the qualifying round, was forced to sit out the rest of the event.

She retired from professional cycling in 2017.

Dennis announced he would retire at the end of 2023. The couple had been scheduled to take part in an event at the Tour Down Under in Adelaide.

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