A sad incident saw the demise of Melissa Hoskins. The mother of two passed away after being hit by a car and the allegations are against her husband. The incident took place just a week after her husband shared a sweet Christmas family picture and wrote, “Merry Christmas from our family to yours.” Both Hoskins and her husband were Olympic cycling medalists. In fact, Melissa Hoskins competed at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics on the track in the team pursuit and was in the team that won the 2015 world title in the event.

As per reports, the 32-year-old passed away in the hospital after she was hit by a car on Saturday night in Adelaide’s inner north. Further, reports suggest that the man arrested by the authorities and charged over Hoskins’ death is her husband Rohan Dennis, who retired in 2023.

‘The Mirror’ stated the police are set to allege that during the incident, Hoskins jumped onto the car’s bonnet and attempted to grab a door handle but Dennis allegedly did not stop driving until she fell off. Additionally, there is a chance that Hoskins may have been dragged by the vehicle for some distance. As reported by ‘The Mail’, the vehicle in question is a dark grey 2022 Volkswagen Amarok Highline V6.

The confirmation of the Australian cyclist Hoskins’ death left the sports community in shock. “Melissa described her team Pursuit Gold Medal at the 2015 UCI Track Cycling World Championships as the highlight of her career,” stated AusCycling’s CEO Marne Fechner. Having fallen in love with cycling at 15, she quickly rose through the ranks, representing Australia in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. But somewhere along the way, she also found family in the sport.

“For the rest of us, the highlight was just having her around,” Marne Fechner added, who was part of Hoskins’ on-track family. But Melissa also found family in her husband, Rohan Dennis, a fellow professional Olympian cyclist. After tying the knot in 2018, the sporting couple frequently shared tidbits of their family life on social media.

Rohan Dennis is charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving without due care and endangering life, and was bailed to appear in court in March. According to police, Melissa Hiskin’s death marked the 114th life lost on SA roads this year, compared to 71 at the same time last year.

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Fans and athletes unite to honor Melissa Hoskins following the tragedy

As an Australian Olympian, Melissa Hoskins displayed her glory individually and as a team member of the cyclist pack in her national colors. Her 4th place run in the 2012 London Olympics still brings back good memories for her fans. So, in Melissa’s tribute, that emotion came from many voices, one of whom was her teammate at both Olympics appearances: Anna Meares. She posted a picture with Hoskins on X and wrote, “I have a very heavy heart. My thoughts are with their children, family, and fellow friends. This is a very difficult and tragic time. RIP .”

Hoskins’ death comes as a big shock to the sports community because recently, Benjamin Kiplagat, who had represented Uganda at three Olympic Games, was found dead in Kenya. As per information available, he was stabbed.

Former Australian field hockey Olympian and politician Nova Peris couldn’t help but follow Anna Meares’ lead. The Olympic gold medalist wrote, “Condolences to the family.” Joining the athletes was CPA Women, an international association that represents the interests of female cyclists. The organization was just as shocked as the rest of the world after Hoskins’ demise came to light.

The entire cycling community will certainly miss Melissa Hoskins, especially her fans. One user couldn’t help but touch upon Hoskins’ on- and off-field presence and how beautiful of a person she was inside and out. Understandably emotional, they wrote, “Absolutely gorgeous. Very sad. Horrific.” 

The circumstances under which Melissa Hoskins passed away made many fans come out in support of her, pushing for justice. One fan wrote, “My heart goes out to her children, especially considering the circumstances of her death.”

Hoskins and Dennis were scheduled to take part in an event at the Tour Down Under in Adelaide this month. Tour Down Under organizers revealed, “Given the circumstances, Rohan Dennis will no longer be participating.” 

Melissa Hoskins will forever be remembered for her contributions to her sport. May she rest in peace.

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