Australia - Melissa Hoskins, 32, Olympian cyclist, struck & killed by ute, husband Rohan Dennis arrested and charged - Medindie, SA, 30 Dec 2023

[SouthAussie]

It would explain a lot, if she were trying to protect her children, stopping him from fleeing with them. I hope the children weren't in the car... but if both parents were in/around the car, who was with the littles? Where were they?

Their worlds turned upside down that day.



JMO

They have grandparents who live about 15 mins away from their home. Medindie (their home), Hazelwood Park (grandparents home). IIRC

I have always wondered if the children were at the grandparents home, or if they were in the vehicle and were then taken to their grandparents home. Because I think Rohan left the scene.
I have been trying to find how long he was away from the scene of the incident, because I know we discussed it, but I am not finding it right now.

I do remember Rohan was seen at his parents place quite a lot in the following days.

imo

 

[Marg944]

Both Melissa and Dennis were due to attend a street party that night, but did not show up. They may well have had the children babysat for the evening.

“The couple were due to attend a Christmas street party on the night of Hoskins’ death but were no shows, The Australian reported.”

‘Something happened’: New details emerge about Melissa Hoskins’ death

‘Something happened’: New details emerge about night of cyclist’s death

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[SouthAussie]

Both Melissa and Dennis were due to attend a street party that night, but did not show up. They may well have had the children babysat for the evening.

“The couple were due to attend a Christmas street party on the night of Hoskins’ death but were no shows, The Australian reported.”

‘Something happened’: New details emerge about Melissa Hoskins’ death

‘Something happened’: New details emerge about night of cyclist’s death

www.foxsports.com.au

Yes, that was misreporting. The street party was two weeks prior. I just saw my post about that, when looking for other info. I will link it, give me a sec.


ETA: Here it is ... (read the ETA in the post)

The couple were due to attend a Christmas street party on the night of Hoskins’ death but were no shows, The Australian reported.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/cycling/new-details-emerge-about-melissa-hoskins-death/news-story/9e6c8e0e62279ceade5770ae15b16655

ETA: I just read the "quoted" Australian article, what it actually says is that the family were due to attend the street Xmas party TWO WEEKS ago, and didn't show. (Not "on the night of" Melissa's death.)
That would make the party about a week before Melissa's death.

There seems to be 2 CCTV cameras that are vital. They are on the home of a real estate agent, who didn't wish to comment. The cameras appear to look over part of the area of the incident.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/rohan-dennis-and-melissa-hoskins-two-champions-one-horrific-night/news-story/1095324e6600082dab706817ec51da6b?amp

 

[Marg944]

Wow!! That is huge misreporting SA. Thanks for clearing that up.

I did find a news article that says that the children were at home with Dennis on Tuesday 2nd Jan, which is 3 days after Melissa was killed.

The article also does state that the incident was captured on a neighbours CCTV.

https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/melissa-hoskins-shattered-children-break-down-in-tears-as-hush-rohan-dennis-dodges-reporters-on-way-out-of-adelaide-home/news-story/256b6f5af486085253f9733c08bdb5d2

 

[SouthAussie]

Wow!! That is huge misreporting SA. Thanks for clearing that up.

It is big misreporting. But it makes sense that there wasn't a street party that night. Otherwise there would have been loads of people trying to help Melissa, other than two teenagers.

The Advertiser article also says that teenage neighbours tried to save Melissa's life, until the paramedics arrived.
But Melissa had sustained catastrophic injuries.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-sa/new-details-on-olympic-cyclist-melissa-hoskins-death-at-medindie-before-husband-rohan-dennis-charged/news-story/94861a392961a907cd73a1d67ddf5e2d?amp

 

[sunspun]

I see posts wondering how she could have reached the passenger door handle from the bonnet, but I was thinking, was it reported for sure that it was the PASSENGER handle she may have been reaching for? Or do reports just say door handle? Because maybe she was reaching for the driver side instead. In other words, maybe she was reaching for HIM, more than the handle. Or if she'd tried to open the passenger door before getting on the bonnet, but found it locked, maybe she jumped on the bonnet, thinking that was the fastest way to get to the driver side, which may be unlocked, since he had just gotten in thru that door.

I can see her jumping on the bonnet, thinking that would make him stop or not start driving (if that was indeed her goal, to keep him from leaving.) If that's what happened, it didn't work. Why wouldn't he have stopped if she was on the car? Anyone would know that puts her in an extremely dangerous position if he keeps driving. Hard to stay put up there, I'm sure.

And then did he really allegedly drive off and leave her there on the road? Imo, that makes it so much worse if true.

I wonder if they have a history of domestic violence incidents? Any LE calls to their home? No friends or family have said anything publicly about the state of their marriage or how they got along?

 

[SouthAussie]

I see posts wondering how she could have reached the passenger door handle from the bonnet, but I was thinking, was it reported for sure that it was the PASSENGER handle she may have been reaching for? Or do reports just say door handle? Because maybe she was reaching for the driver side instead. In other words, maybe she was reaching for HIM, more than the handle. Or if she'd tried to open the passenger door before getting on the bonnet, but found it locked, maybe she jumped on the bonnet, thinking that was the fastest way to get to the driver side, which may be unlocked, since he had just gotten in thru that door.

I can see her jumping on the bonnet, thinking that would make him stop or not start driving (if that was indeed her goal, to keep him from leaving.) If that's what happened, it didn't work. Why wouldn't he have stopped if she was on the car? Anyone would know that puts her in an extremely dangerous position if he keeps driving. Hard to stay put up there, I'm sure.

And then did he really allegedly drive off and leave her there on the road? Imo, that makes it so much worse if true.

I wonder if they have a history of domestic violence incidents? Any LE calls to their home? No friends or family have said anything publicly about the state of their marriage or how they got along?

I think the reports just say "door handle". I always assumed it was the driver's side, as that is the side that the police were photographed actively looking at.

Yes, I think he drove off. Two teenagers are the only ones who tried to help Melissa.

I haven't seen any reports about domestic violence. But there are quite a few reports about Rohan's bad temper.


Eg:
Yet for all that success, Dennis is also known for his temper.
"I have been known to sort of have a short fuse," Dennis says, "and I think cycling is the way I let that anger out. That's how I vent."
That Dennis can be angry is not news.

VeloNews: Rohan Dennis channeling anger at worlds

Rohan Dennis is known to have one of the shortest fuses in the peloton, which has helped drive a successful season Dennis hopes to cap with an individual world time trial championship.

www.espn.com.au

 

[Marg944]

A pic of Dennis’s VW Amarok Ute. I did a search on Google lens and it came up with the idea it is a 2021 model.

Cyclist Rohan Dennis took video inside ute that allegedly killed wife

He posted the video to his Instagram page just over a year before the fatal December 30 incident which resulted in 32-year-old Olympic cyclist Melissa Hoskins' death.

www.dailymail.co.uk