The next day, perhaps relying on the testimony given by Pretty’s friends to police, the media reported that the fatal crash had been the other rider’s fault. Police told journalists the other rider had crossed to the wrong side of the road when he hit Pretty coming in the opposite direction. Senior Sergeant Brenton Rowney of the Major Crash Investigation Unit said Walker had made a “very grave error” that had cost two lives.

“The Honda (Pretty’s bike) was heading south on the correct side of the road,” Sergeant Rowney told reporters. “The Kawasaki veered on to the incorrect side of the road for whatever reason and killed both of them,” he said.

Imagine how Mr Walker’s close and immediate family, and his friends and others who knew him, felt when they read that.

And the police sergeant went on. “Clearly this accident today or this collision today is as a result of someone driving outside their skill level. If people to continue to do that, no matter what the police do or what members of the public do the road toll will continue to climb,” he said.

Naturally, Australia’s large and active motorcycling community was shocked and outraged that the well-liked and respected racer should meet his death because of someone else’s stupidity and recklessness.

On internet forums, the other rider was castigated.

A few weeks ago the coroner’s inquest released its findings. It found that Greg Pretty, not Mostyn Walker, had been on the wrong side of the road. Pretty had caused the fatal crash; he had caused Walker’s death, not the other way around.

“The Advertiser and Sunday Mail referred in positive terms to Mr Pretty’s undoubted abilities as a rider but said nothing of the kind in relation to the other deceased motorcyclist. The quoted remarks of the police spokesman disparaged the other motorcyclist,” said the official inquest.

“It will be seen that the comments attributed to the spokesman must have been offered to the media on the day of the collision and before any proper investigation,” the Coroner said.

“The uncorrected account of the accident as described by the police spokesman was if anything the antithesis of the manner in which the accident occurred. This Inquest would have been largely unnecessary had police refrained from making any public statement about this accident before the facts were established.

“The assertions attributed to the police spokesman have not been publicly corrected since they appeared in the media in January 2010,” he lamented.

I would like SA police to take heed of the Coroner’s warning, and not make presumptions before the facts are known. I counsel reporters not to report speculation as fact, particularly when blaming the wrong rider can have such awful consequences to an innocent man’s memory. And I wish to pass on my sincere condolences to the families and friends of both Greg Pretty and Mostyn Walker.

David Ridgway
Shadow minister for police
Adelaide

Greg’s loss is sadly another of my heroes taken too early, this sadness began with Bryan Hindle, I know it is crazy but I think of Bryan every other day even now, and I never actually met him. We have lost so many great Aussie Road Racers and the terrible irony is that a great deal of the fatalities occurred off the track. We all need to be bl##dy careful and hold our collective memories of too many fallen riders for as long as possible.

NB: Hi Phil, It appears my memory is deteriorating, I thought it was Alan Hales doing that fantastic impromtu lap with Greg and Croz. I still vividly remember Croz throwing the CBX around like a trail bike, fantastic stuff…..