Darren Hicks

Darren Michael Hicks (born 3 December 1984) is an Australian Paralympic cyclist who has won medals at several World Road and Track Championships. His aim is to compete at the 2020 Toyko Paralympics. His right leg was amputated above the knee as a consequence of a road crash in 2014.[1]

Darren Hicks
Personal information
NationalityAustralia
Born (1984-12-03) 3 December 1984
Sport
CountryAustralia
SportCycling
Disability classC2
Medal record
Cycling
Para-cycling Road Championships
2017 PietermaritzburgMen's Road Race C2
2017 PietermaritzburgMen's Individual Time Trial C2
2018 ManiagoMen's Road Race C2
2019 EmmenMen's Individual Time Trial C2
UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships
2018 Rio de JaneiroMen's Scratch Race C1-3
2019 ApeldoornMen's 3km Individual Pursuit C2

Personal

Hicks was born 3 December 1984.[2] In August 2014, he was driving a sewage waste truck downhill on Adelaide's South Eastern Freeway. He lost control of the truck due to faulty brakes and the resulting crash at Glen Osmond killed two people.[3] A report prepared for the court in 2017 concluded the truck's brakes were faulty and that neither Hicks nor Cleanaway were aware and police charges were dropped in January 2019.[4] The accident result in Hicks having his right leg amputated.[4][5] Hicks had held his heavy vehicle licence for a month, and it was his third day working for that employer. It was the first day he had been alone on the job, and he was assigned an older, different model of truck than he had driven before. In December 2019, he told the court (in proceedings against his former employer) that he had not been asked if he knew how to drive a manual truck down that long descent. The truck's brakes failed, and it collided with three cars waiting at traffic lights at the end of the freeway. Two people were killed, another left with serious injuries, and Hicks' leg was amputated to extract him from the wreckage of the truck.[1]

Cycling

Hicks is classified as a C2 cyclist. His first major international competition was the 2017 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa where he won silver medals in the Men's Time Trial C2 and the Men's Road Race C2.[2] At the 2018 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Hicks won the silver medal in the Men's Scratch Race C1-3.[6] He won the bronze medal in the Men's Road Race C2 at the 2018 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, Maniago, Italy.[6] He finished fourth in the Men's C2 Time Trial.[7]

At the 2019 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, he won the gold medal in the Men's 3 km Pursuit C2.[4]

At the 2020 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, Milton, Ontario, he finished fourth in the Men's 3km Pursuit C2 and ninth in the Men's Scratch Race C2.[8]

Recognition

References
  1. Fewster, Sean (2 December 2019). "2014 South Eastern Freeway crash: Darren Hicks tells how he tried to regain control as his unfamiliar truck accelerated towards disaster". The Advertiser. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  2. "Darren Hicks". Australian Cycling Team website. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  3. Williams, Deanna. "Widow reveals truckie accused of killing her husband is now 'like a son to her'". Yahoo News. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  4. "Para Hicks grabs maiden world title". Australian Cycling Team website. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  5. Fewster, Sean (15 August 2017). "Cleanaway accuses federal prosecutors of not revealing case against it over fatal 2014 South-Eastern Freeway crash". News.com.au. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  6. "Cycling Australia Annual Report 2018" (PDF). Cycling Australia. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  7. "Podium finish greets SASI stars at world titles". South Australian Sports Institute website. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  8. "Australia secure eight world titles at 2020 Para-cycling Track World Championships". Cycling Australia website. 3 February 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  9. "SASI'S high-flying stars celebrate a year of success". South Australian Sports Institute website. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  10. "Caleb Ewan awarded 'Oppy' as 2019 Cyclist of the Year". Cycling Australia. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
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