Brian Brabender: Cyclist hit by Veolia rubbish truck minutes from his workplace on Monday morning

A cyclist was just minutes from reaching his workplace when he was hit and killed by a rubbish truck outside the business, it can be revealed. Father of two Brian Brabender made the same early morning journey on his bicycle to his job at WA Limestone for 15 years but his commute ended in tragedy about 4.30am on Monday. Mr Brabender was just minutes from starting his shift when he was hit by the Veolia truck in an industrial area at the intersection of Spearwood Avenue and Howson Way. The West Australian understands four WA Limestone staff members rushed to help after witnessing the crash, with one of them calling an ambulance. Despite desperate attempts to save him, Mr Brabender was declared dead at the scene. Police say the 58-year-old man driving the rubbish truck was not injured. Det-Sen. Sgt. Hugh Le Tessier from the major crash investigation section said the rubbish truck was traveling on Howson Way and made a left turn into Spearwood Ave to travel in a northerly direction before the fatal collision. “At about that time, the truck has struck the cyclist, and the cyclist has received critical injuries and he died at the scene,” he said. “Without knowing the exact circumstances around this particular incident, it’s just a message to cyclists that if you are on the road and it’s dark, you must be wearing your full safety gear, helmet, fluoro vest, full lights, etc, so you’re clearly visible.” The truck driver has been assisting police with their investigation. Major crash officers attended the scene on Monday morning as they tried to piece together the circumstances leading up to the crash. A spokesperson for Veolia confirmed the company’s involvement in the incident. “At approximately 4:30 am this morning, at the intersection of Spearwood Avenue and Howson Way an incident occurred involving one of our vehicles and a cyclist,” the spokesperson said. “Emergency services were immediately notified and attended the location. “While we cannot share further details at this time, we are working with the emergency services as they carry out their investigations.” The tragedy came as police confirmed a 54-year-old cyclist had died in hospital more than a week after an alleged hit-and-run in Kenwick on January 3. It is alleged Paul Patrick Mulligan, 64, was behind the wheel of a Hyundai Getz hatchback when he hit the cyclist before leaving the scene without rendering assistance or reporting the incident. On Saturday, another cyclist was left fighting for life after being hit by a car in Craigie. Police say the cyclist, 39, and a silver Suzuki sedan collided at the intersection of Whitfords and Marmion avenues about 5.05am. The cyclist was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital with critical injuries and remained in a critical condition on Monday. The 34-year-old male driver was uninjured. Confronting photographs of the scene showed the bicycle effectively snapped in half. According to the Road Safety Commission, four cyclists died on WA roads last year. Anyone with information regarding the crashes is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report the information online at www.crimestopperswa.com.au.