Australian road racing team tragedy

It's not like I knew any of them or had even heard of any of them before and it's no worse than anyone getting killed in any accident. All the same, it was terrible to hear about the Australian women road racers and their accident near Leipzig, when a car crashed into six of them and killed one cyclist (Amy Gillett). I guess, selfishly, it is more prominent in my mind when a cyclist gets killed/injured (as opposed to anyone else) as I think 'That could easily have been me' and it makes me realise, albeit a fairly safe activity, the dangers involved in cycling on roads. Apparently the driver of the car was an eighteen year old learner who veered off completely to the wrong side of the road and ploughed straight into the Australian team members.

You have to wonder how anyone, even learning to drive, could veer off quite so badly as to end up on the wrong side of the road. I don't doubt it was an accident but then you've got to question whether something can truly be referred to as accidental when it could so easily have been avoided. Obviously we don't know the circumstances but it's hard to believe anyone could drive quite so dangerously, even on her first time behind a steering wheel, if she was concentrating. Please let me point out, I'm not being sexist. It states in the report the driver was female. Maybe there was some sort of obstruction and, in her inexperience, the driver thought it would be okay to go out round it rather than wait to make sure it was clear? Who knows and what good would it do to know now? It's very sad whatever the reasons behind it.

You can read Eurosport's report on the incident and its effects here.