Perth cyclist killed on US highway

A Perth cyclist has been killed in the US after a car hit him from behind on a highway in Kansas.

A Perth cyclist killed while riding in the US has been remembered as a funny and outgoing traveller.

Michael Balfe, 60, was about 12km east of the city of Eureka in Kansas on Monday night when he was struck from behind by a driver in a Chevy Impala and fell into a ditch on the 54 highway.

Charges have not been laid against the 32-year-old driver Shawn Echols.

Mr Balfe, from Claremont, was remembered by friend Ross Dickinson on social media as "an all round nice guy".

Home Plate Cafe owner Cindy McWilliams met Mr Balfe about a week before the crash when he stepped into her Seneca establishment.

Ms McWilliams said he asked about an adaptor for his phone and his Australian accent caught her attention.

"We talked a lot about the trips and where he travelled and we were just living vicariously through him," she told 6PR radio on Friday.

"He was so vibrant and so happy and so outgoing and kind. He really made an impact on us.

"When he walked out the door it was like 'wow, what a great person'."

Ms McWilliams said she added Mr Balfe on Facebook and was "heartsick" when she found out this week that he had died.

"It was amazing to us how much he had touched us in the 60 minutes that he spent with us," she said.

"You never know what impact someone will have on you until something like this happens, even someone who had only been in your life for an hour."

The highway is a popular route for cyclists.

"It looks like he was an avid rider and from what we can determine so far it looked like he liked to go to different parts of the world," Kansas Highway Patrol trooper Rick Wingate told AAP.

Items in Mr Balfe's backpack indicated his plan was to cycle south to Tulsa and he had a ticket to fly from there on October 13.

"We don't believe from the items he had on him he was doing it for any fundraiser or anything like that," Trooper Wingate said.

"We just believe he was out for a leisure ride."

Mr Balfe's death continues a tragic run for Australians on US roads in recent weeks, with Australian mother-of-four Susan Kilner, 36, killed by an alleged hit-and-run driver while cycling in Georgia.

In separate incidents in Las Vegas, Matthew Graves, 26, was killed attempting to run across a highway and Boban Karic, 27, died when his motorcycle hit a guard rail.


Share
3 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world