Kieran Modra Dies After Being Hit by Car

Australian Paralympian and renowned tandem cyclist Kieran Modra, 47, was hit and killed by a car on November 13 while out on a ride.
The South Australia Police Department stated that Modra was hit by a car traveling in the same direction on Sturt Highway around 7 a.m. He died at the scene.
Modra was considered a “legend” in the Paralympic community and a “pioneer in tandem cycling.” He is survived by his wife Kerry and their three children.

Australian Paralympic cyclist Kieran Modra died after being hit by a car during a ride early Wednesday morning in Kingsford, Australia. Modra, 47, was a five-time Paralympic gold medalist and is widely known for being a “pioneer in tandem cycling.”

According to local police, Modra and the car were traveling in the same direction on Sturt Highway around 7 a.m. when he was hit. He died at the scene.

Born with a vision impairment known as juvenile optic atrophy, Modra was a talented athlete across disciplines, first competing in the 1988 Seoul Paralympics in the sport of javelin and track and field. A knee injury prompted him to switch to swimming, and he proceeded to win two bronze medals at the 1992 Barcelona Paralympics.

Modra took up cycling in 1995 and went on to win his first gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics, where he was piloted by his future wife, Kerry Golding. At the Athens Paralympics in 2004, Modra became the first cyclist to compete in all five disciplines at a single Games, where he won gold in both the 4K time trial and the 200-meter sprint, and a bronze medal in the 110K road race. In total, he competed at eight Paralympic Games.

“Kieran is a giant of Australian Paralympic sport, not only because of his competitive success but also because of his wider contribution to the Paralympic movement across multiple sports over many years,” said Lynne Anderson, the chief executive officer of Paralympics Australia in a statement. “He has left a legacy that will live on.”

Modra is survived by his wife Kerry and their three children.

According to Cycling Australia, Modra was hit by a car once before in December of 2011, which resulted in two broken neck vertebrae. Despite this setback, he still went on to win a gold medal at the 2012 London Paralympic Games.

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“This is a tragedy, it’s an absolute tragedy for the people that are left behind, not only the person that’s affected, and people need to really start understanding that this has massive consequences,” said Superintendent Bob Gray of the South Australia Police Department, in a press conference regarding the accident. “There’s a family, there’s a wife, there’s husbands, daughters, sons, mothers, that are all impacted.”

Gray confirmed that the speed limit on that stretch of road is 110 kilometers per hour, or about 68 mph. While acknowledging the inherent risks of cycling on a “major highway,” he stated that there’s no reason a cyclist shouldn’t be able to ride there if drivers gave the required meter and a half of distance while passing.

“Roads don’t kill people,” Gray said. “People kill people.”

Police confirmed on November 14 that charges have been filed against the driver.

—This story has been updated with new information from the police.