A rider has died over night after coming off his bike and being hit by a car, while the rider he was with fled the scene, NSW police say.
The accident happened on the M1 at Lake Macquarie between West Wallsend and Ryhope about 1am (Wednesday 28 August 2019).
Police have been told two motorbikes were travelling southbound on the M1 expressway “at speed” when one rider has come off his bike.
“He was thrown from the bike on to the road before being hit by a car also heading south,” police say.
The rider died at the scene, while the rider of the second motorbike did not stop.
UPDATE: Police say the deceased has yet to be formally identified but is believed to be a 33-year-old man. The second motorcyclist has been identified and a statement has been obtained from the man and inquiries continue.
The car’s driver – a 25-year-old woman – contacted emergency services, before she was taken to John Hunter Hospital for mandatory testing.
Officers from the Crash Investigation Unit are attending to assist Lake Macquarie officers with a full investigation and are calling for any witnesses, or anyone who may have dash-cam vision of the two motorbikes just prior to the crash to come forward.
Motorists heading southbound on the M1 near the crash scene are being diverted; motorists are encouraging to check livetraffic.com for the latest traffic updates.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.