Vic: Two motorcyclists dead in head-on near Shepparton

AAP General News (Australia)
04-02-2010
Vic: Two motorcyclists dead in head-on near Shepparton

MELBOURNE, April 2 AAP - Two motorcyclists are dead after their bikes collided head-on
in a pile-up involving more than 50 riders near Shepparton in central Victoria.

Police say another two people who were travelling on a bike with a side car crashed
while trying to avoid the collision, which happened outside the Pine Lodge Cemetery on
the Dookie-Shepparton Road about 2.20pm (AEDT).

A group of 50 to 60 riders, believed to be members of the Outlaws motorcycle club,
had been cruising east when one member of the pack crashed head-on with a rider heading
west.

A 53-year-old Shepparton man and another man died at the scene.

The pair who were injured while trying to avoid the collision, a 53-year-old man and
an 18-year-old woman with injuries described as serious, have been airlifted to hospital.

The deaths take Victoria's road toll to 81 compared with 72 for the same time last year.

The double fatality shatters the aim of Victoria Police, who are carrying out a massive
road safety blitz this Easter, to avoid any road deaths.

Just a few hours into the long holiday weekend police had pulled over and breath-tested
29,000 drivers. Another 863 drivers had been caught speeding.

Other offences detected include 320 drivers caught talking on their mobile phones,
133 not wearing their seat belts, 70 unlicensed drivers and 57 nabbed drink-driving.

(EDS: AAP's Easter road toll figures are for the period 0001 April 1 to 2359 April
5. Some states and territories may have different periods.)

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