Former world champion cyclist Rohan Dennis has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors concerning the tragic death of his wife, Melissa Hoskins, who was also a talented Olympian from Australia.
At 34 years of age, Dennis will not be held liable for Hoskins’ death but has acknowledged guilt for a charge that could result in a maximum prison sentence of seven years.
On Tuesday, Dennis appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court to face accusations of dangerous driving resulting in death, along with an aggravated count of driving without due care.
The incident that led to these charges occurred on December 30, 2023, when Hoskins, aged 32, was hit by Dennis’s vehicle outside their home in Medindie, located in North Adelaide. She sustained serious injuries from the collision and later passed away at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
During court proceedings, Dennis’ attorney, Jane Abbey, informed the magistrate that both defense and prosecution had consented to dismiss the initial charges against him. Instead, they agreed to proceed with the amended aggravated charge relating to creating a risk of harm.
“It has been agreed that a plea will be entered for the third count — the original charges will be dropped,” she stated to Magistrate Justin Wickens.
The couple, who became engaged in 2017 and tied the knot in 2018, share two children together.
Following his plea, Dennis was granted continued bail and has been scheduled for sentencing in the District Court on January 24, 2024.
Melissa Hoskins had a noteworthy athletic career, competing in track cycling at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, specializing in the team pursuit. She was also part of the team that claimed victory at the 2015 World Championships in the same event.
Rohan Dennis, who concluded his professional cycling career at the end of the 2023 season, has an impressive resume that includes two world titles in road time trial events. He earned a silver medal in the team pursuit at the London Olympics and a bronze medal in the road time trial at the Tokyo Olympics.
In addition, Dennis made history as the seventh Australian cyclist to wear the coveted yellow jersey as the race leader in the Tour de France, achieving this milestone by winning the opening time trial in 2015 with a record-setting average speed.