Australian Cyclist Rohan Dennis Charged in Death of Olympian Wife Melissa Hoskins: Reports

An Australian cyclist has reportedly been charged in the death of his Olympian wife.

The Australian Olympic Committee announced the death of 32-year-old former world champion Melissa Hoskins on Sunday, and soon after, multiple media outlets including the Independent, Guard and other Australian media such as national broadcaster ABC reported that her husband, Rohan Dennis, had been arrested and charged in her death.

Hoskins, a two-time Olympian, was hit by a car in Adelaide on Saturday and later died after being rushed to hospital, according to Guard. Australian news outlet ABC reports that Dennis, 33, also a former Olympian and world champion, has since been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving without due care and endangering life.

A South Australian police statement released on Sunday – which did not name the victim or the accused – said a man was arrested after the crash in the Adelaide suburb of Medindia after 8pm on Saturday. The BBC cited the police report, noting that “it was widely reported in the Australian media” that the man and woman were identified as Dennis and Hoskins.

When reached for comment on Monday, a spokesperson for SA Police told PEOPLE that police are “unable to confirm identities in SA.” A contact listed on Dennis’ website did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

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As police share in the release, authorities were first called to Avenel Gardens Road after a report that a woman had been hit by a car.

According to the statement, the 32-year-old woman who “suffered serious injuries” died overnight at the Royal Adelaide Hospital while the 33-year-old driver, who “was known to the woman”, was “arrested and charged with causing death by dangerous driving, carelessness and putting life in danger” after the investigation.

“He has been released on bail to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on March 13,” the statement said.

According to police, the woman’s death marked “the 114th life lost on SA roads this year, compared to 71 at the same time last year.”

Dennis and Hoskins, who married in 2018, were retired with two children, according to Dennis’ Instagram account. He posted the last family photo on Christmas Day of him, Hoskins and their children in front of a decorated tree, with the caption: “Merry Christmas from our family to yours.”

Hoskins, a two-time Olympian, represented Australia in the team pursuit at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio de Janeiro games, per Sports Illustrated. She won the world championship in the discipline in France in 2015.

Melissa Hoskins, who posed for a photo on Rohan Dennis’ Instagram profile.

Rohan Dennis/Instagram

“Melissa described her team pursuit gold medal at the 2015 World Championships as the highlight of her career, but for the rest of us, the highlight was just being around,” AusCyling chief executive Marne Fechner said in a statement on Monday following her death , by the Associated Press.

“Although she retired in 2017, her presence as a former athlete was felt and appreciated by many in the cycling and equestrian community.”

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Source: HIS Education