Rohan Dennis to Face Court Next Week for Death of Wife, Olympian Melissa Hoskins

Late last December, former professional track and road racing cyclist Melissa Hoskins was killed in a crash caused by her husband, Rohan Dennis. Hoskins suffered serious injuries and died at the hospital the day after the crash. Dennis, a former member of Team Jumbo-Visma and who is now retired, had been driving a pick-up truck when he caused the crash. Following an investigation, Dennis was arrested and charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving without due care, and endangering life. He will face court for the first time next week.

Court documents filed to the Adelaide Magistrates Court obtained by ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) show police will allege that Dennis drove “recklessly or at a speed or in a manner which was dangerous to any person.”

Dennis has been out on bail and is due to face court next Wednesday.

According to ABC, “The world champion cyclist was farewelled by her family and teammates at a public memorial service in Adelaide last month, held on what would have been her 33rd birthday.

“Following an investigation, Mr. Dennis was arrested and charged with causing death by dangerous driving – which is a major indictable offense – as well as one count of driving without due care.”

Hoskins competed in the 2012 London Olympics in the women’s cycling Team Pursuit. She also appeared at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She had a full and successful cycling career before retiring in 2017. She and Dennis married in 2018 and had two children.

According to CyclingNews in December, “Rohan Dennis retired this year after a final spell with Jumbo-Visma. The couple had turned to live in Adelaide and had only recently moved to the Medindie area of Adelaide, where the incident happened at around eight o’clock on Saturday evening.”

Dennis was due to make an appearance in a “family ride” at the Tour Down Under in January, but was dropped from the schedule. According to Canadian Cycling Magazine, the race released a statement, “We would like to express our deepest sympathies to all those impacted, including family, friends, and the broader cycling community. Given the circumstances, Rohan Dennis will no longer be participating in activities in the Santos Tour Down Under 2024.”

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