John finishing the West to East Coast at Gisborne Beach
“I totally value the amazing work you are doing and will gladly donate money to help continue this much needed and appreciated work. My husband died after being hit by a ute towing a horse float while riding his bicycle on the Tour of Aotearoa in January 2025.
The more we can do to get through to drivers to be respectful, cautious and go WIDE and SLOW when approaching cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders and to always follow the 1.5m rule the better.
I don’t want any other family to suffer how our family has and continues to suffer due to a death that could have been totally avoided.” Beverley Hickey
The last photo taken of John and Beverley before the accident.
Beverley answered an appeal from the Trust for community support. I called. My objective was to thank Beverley for her support. I didn’t know what she was prepared to give but I knew I had to thank her for her belief in the Trust and its purpose.
One-hour later, hopping off the phone, my husband and I were shocked at what we had heard. I encouraged Beverley to put pen to paper and write to the Independent Police Complaints Authority. Beverley was already planning to do this. She knew she had reached this point too.
John turned onto State Highway 29 from Hopkins Road. He was cycling to Pond Road a short distance away. Tour of Aotearoa Official Guide have changed the route since John's accident.
On 2nd January 2025, Beverley’s husband John was cycling on State Highway 29 near Matamata. He was into his 6th day of biking the Tour of Aotearoa cycling challenge. John was cycling the Tour with a friend, who unfortunately had gone ahead and was not present when the accident occurred. Tour of Aotearoa is one of the world’s great bikepacking trips stretching 3,000 km. Cyclists are given a set route from Cape Reinga to Bluff and follow trails, tracks, paths and lanes connected by mainly country roads. There are photo control points along the ride to take photos as proof of their journey.
John completing the 800-kilometre Camino walk in Spain.
John was an adventurer. A few months earlier Beverley had tracked his every step in Spain and was also tracking his new ‘bucket list’ adventure - the Tour of Aotearoa - from their home in New Plymouth. They were retired after a long life of farming. Beverley and John lost their eldest son in an accident 2 ½ years earlier and 69-year-old John was determined to live his best life.
At 3.22 pm on 2nd January, Beverley received a phone call from Police to inform her that her husband had been hit by a vehicle and had died at the scene. Beverley learned the accident happened at around 10.30am that morning.
Two weeks after the accident Beverley was emailed by a Sergeant from the Waikato Serious Crash Unit and given the name of the officer in charge of the case. She was told he would keep her up to date with proceedings. Beverley asked for John’s personal items to be returned to her. Police emailed Beverley once the items had arrived in New Plymouth and delivery to her home was arranged. The Police then rang the day before the planned drop off and asked to drop John’s belongings off within the next half hour. Beverley was home alone when the officer arrived. She asked that the box be put in her garage, but was told then and there she needed to ID all of John’s belongings and sign for them. One of the first items pulled from the box was his blood stained cycle top.
Subsequent weeks passed and Beverley asked the Police for an update on the investigation. She asked if the speed of the vehicle had been determined and if the 60km/hr speed signs had been operating on SH29. These signs are triggered by vehicles exiting side roads. She enquired about questions the witnesses were asked by Police and was told the witnesses were not all asked the speed they were travelling or whether the 60km/hr sign was flashing. When she asked why these questions weren’t asked, she was told some Police were just training. Beverley asked the Police Constable in charge of the investigation if he could go back to the witnesses and ask the important questions and the Constable said he would investigate it for her. During the same conversation Beverley was told by the Constable that the Utes ECU (electronic control unit) had been removed and had been sent to America for testing to determine the speed. She was told it would take approximately 8 weeks to get the results back and it would cost millions of dollars.
Beverley waited but heard nothing from the Police.
Two-months later she contacted the same Police officer to check on the results of the ECU testing and whether the witnesses at the scene had been asked the important questions. He told her the results from ECU testing were in another department and he couldn’t tell her the results. There was no confirmation that the 60km/hr speed zone signs were operating, and he said he was unable to question the witnesses as his superior officer said it could only be done in a court of law.
As the months passed, updates and answers haven’t been forthcoming. The Constable did not answer her calls. Beverley feels like she’s being fobbed off, especially since requesting a copy of the incident report and receiving nothing. Six-months after the accident Beverley learned the Constable she was told was in charge of John’s case (the only one she has been dealing with) was not the officer in charge, and this responsibility sat with the Sergeant who had sent the original email from the Waikato Serious Crash Unit.
Beverley had one phone conversation with this Sergeant on 31st July, and he didn’t know anything about the ECU being sent to America and said he would investigate it and get back to her. When she asked about the 60 km/hr road sign he told Beverley that drivers could not be fined or prosecuted for exceeding a flashing 60 km/hr sign and that signs were only an indication. After her conversation with the Sergeant, Beverley never heard back from him so sent an email on 13th August outlining her concerns fully. She never got a reply.
On 23rd September 2025 Beverley re-forwarded her last email to the Sergeant and received an email from a Senior Sergeant for Road Policing Waikato. They informed her the crash report was being written, it would be reviewed before going to the coroner. Beverley forwarded all her concerns via email to him but has not heard a word since that day 9 months ago. To date, there has been no final report submitted to Coronial Services as Beverley has kept in communication with the coroner’s office.
Seventeen months on, Beverley says the hardship her family has faced in losing a husband, father & grandfather is hard enough, without also having to deal with a system of inaction and an overall feeling of a complete lack of care. Beverley says John deserves better than this and all the family is asking for is a full and proper investigation to help bring much needed answers for his family.
