A Melbourne cyclist who suffered a brain bleed, neck injuries and memory loss after a 13-year-old girl allegedly “weaponised” a stolen car has revealed his full story.

Dave, whose full name has been withheld, was lucky to survive the March 30 incident after the teenage girl drove an allegedly stolen car on Beach Road in Brighton, a hugely popular route among the city’s cycling community.

The teen, who turned 14 earlier this month, was allegedly on a two-month crime spree when she became aggressive towards Dave.

He claims the pair exchanged words after a passenger in the car opened the door in his direction.

Moments later, he says, the car driven by the teen — who yesterday had 109 charged dropped because of her age — knocked him down.

“I had an interaction with the [teenagers] in the vehicle a couple of minutes earlier,” he told 3AW’s Jacqui Felgate on Thursday afternoon.

Dave, the cyclist mowed down by the 14-year-old girl in Melbourne, has spoken about what happened.
“The rear passenger door had sort of flung open.

“I went after them to get an idea of what the hell they were thinking. During that interaction with the driver I managed to somehow get in front of their car — they were held up in some traffic.

“(I had) no idea who was driving or what they wanted from me.

“It was clear they weren’t going to leave me alone and I had to resign myself to the fact that some time in the future I was going to be struck by the car.

“It was disgusting.”

News.com.au reported on Thursday that prosecutors dropped all 109 charges against the teenager a week after her lawyer foreshadowed in a children’s court that she would argue doli incapax, the legal term that presumes a child between the ages of 10 and 14 cannot fully understand the gravity of their crimes.

It was previously reported that the teen allegedly Googled “how long is the sentence for running someone over” within three minutes of striking the cyclist.

A car allegedly driven towards members of the Jewish community with a then-13-year-old behind the wheel.
In charge sheets provided to news.com.au, police alleged the teen carried out a series of antisemitic attacks, including swerving towards members of the Jewish community in Ripponlea two days before the cyclist was knocked from his bike.

A search of her phone after she was arrested allegedly found she had also Googled “where do Jews live”.

Speaking on Thursday, Dave said he was knocked unconscious in the March 30 incident and taken to the Alfred Hospital.

“I … spent some time in their trauma area. I had sustained a subdural brain haemorrhage and quite a severely damaged neck. Thankfully no fractures, but quite scary nonetheless,” he said.

Dave said he suffers from “cognitive impairment” including “some difficulty with my speech, reading and writing, sleeping and dizzy spells” as well as a “general feeling of being unwell”.

He received a phone call from police on Wednesday to break the news that prosecutors were dropping all charges against the teen.

Despite that, he said his dealings with Victoria Police were “incredible” and that they have been “so hard working and supportive”.

“They gave me a ring yesterday to let me know the circumstances and that they wouldn’t be able to pursue the charges any further and you could sort of sense their frustration and disappointment,” he said.

The teen escapes with no criminal record.
“I was quite disappointed. I made the decision early on that whatever the outcome was, I’d try not to let it affect me too much.”

On the subject of doli incapax, Dave said this: “There’s a time and a place for doli incapax, but when it comes to weaponising a vehicle and allegedly intentionally trying to kill someone, that veil of protection needs to be lifted.

“I think the crimes need to be viewed circumstantially. I don’t think there can be this blanket protection for these kids. We were once very proud of being Melburnians and it feels like it’s a bit of a zoo out there at the moment.”

Among the charges police laid that were later dropped were several related to stealing motor vehicles.

On March 25, she allegedly stole a car valued at $30,000 from a home in Caulfield North.

On the same day, she also allegedly stole licence plates from a vehicle in the Berwick area.

A day later, on March 26, she was accused of stealing another vehicle worth $30,000 from Camberwell.

On March 28, she was accused of driving a vehicle recklessly towards a person in Hampton that placed them in danger of death.

In Elsternwick on the same day, she was accused of behaving in an offensive manner in a public place, using profane language in a public place and recklessly engaging in conduct driving in a manner which endangered life.

Brighton is a cycling hotspot and the location where Dave was knocked from his bike. Picture: David Crosling
Police said that on the same day, she “threatened physical harm towards a group of persons namely Jewish people”.

The next day, on March 29, police said she stole $70.15 worth of petrol from a 7 Eleven in Malvern East, stole a vehicle valued at $30,000 from Caulfield, trespassed in a Snap Fitness with the intent to steal in Bentleigh East and stole a second car valued at $15,000.

On March 30, she was accused of knocking Dave from his bike and Googling “how long is the sentence for running someone over” within three minutes of allegedly striking the cyclist.

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She was accused of stealing another car valued at $30,000 on the same day.

The following day, she allegedly drove at speeds exceeding 200km/h “without proper control due to tyres being deflated” and “failing to take proper care through intersections that placed person/s in danger of death”.

And on the same day, she allegedly stole a car valued at $10,000.