A cyclist was thrown from his bike after striking large rocks that were allegedly deliberately placed on Wellington’s newly opened Te Ara Tupua shared pathway.The incident occurred on the popular Ngauranga-to-Petone path when local firefighter Clark Townsley was cycling to work in the early morning hours. Townsley said he suddenly hit a rock hidden in a dark section of the track, causing him to crash.
“Next thing you know, I’m lying on the ground,” he told RNZ, recalling the moment of the fall.
After the crash, Townsley discovered several large rocks scattered across the pathway. He estimated there were about six rocks, each weighing between five and seven kilograms and measuring up to 50 centimetres wide. He removed the rocks from the track to prevent further accidents.
Townsley believes the rocks were intentionally placed on the path, a view shared by the New Zealand Transport Agency.
“There’s no doubt in my mind they’ve done it deliberately,” he said. “Either way, it’s not a particularly smart thing to do.”
The Te Ara Tupua pathway, which opened just one month ago, has been widely praised by cyclists, runners and walkers as a major new transport and recreation link between Wellington and the Hutt Valley.
Authorities are investigating the incident and are urging anyone who witnessed suspicious activity on the pathway or has relevant information to come forward. Officials warned that deliberately placing obstacles on shared paths could result in serious injuries or even fatalities.
