Perth Father of Two Killed in Bibra Lake Hit-and-Run Identified

A Perth father of two has been identified as the victim of a fatal hit-and-run in the city’s south, as police confirm they are still looking for the driver more than 24 hours on.

Joseph Paratore, 40, was riding his bike on North Lake Road on Tuesday morning when police said he was hit by a white Toyota Prado four wheel drive about 5.20am and died at the scene.

CCTV recorded at a nearby business and released by police shows Mr Paratore cycling along the side of a road in the early morning light with his front light illuminated. Moments later, after Mr Paratore exits the frame, a white four wheel drive comes into view and speeds quickly past.

A Tribute to Joseph Paratore

Mr Paratore was a husband and father to two young boys, with friends describing him as a "larger-than-life character" who was adored by the cycling community. Flowers and a helmet with a message that says 'keep riding in the sky' have been left at the scene of the fatal hit-and-run.

Jeff Grbelja, who was part of the same cycling group as Mr Paratore, said he was a "loving husband and a devoted father".

"Joseph embraced cycling because he wanted to improve his health and fitness and, most importantly, live a long and healthy life with his family," Mr Grbelja said.

"He often told me that cycling had saved his life. Those words are particularly heartbreaking now. The cruel irony that Joseph lost his life doing something he loved, something he genuinely believed had given him a new lease on life, is incredibly difficult to comprehend."

Police Search for Driver

WA Police Detective Senior Sergeant Hugh Le Tessier said the Prado kept travelling north after hitting Mr Paratore, and then made a series of turns further ahead.

"After the incident, the vehicle turned left into Phoenix Road, right into Sudlow Road, and left again into Forrest Road," he said.

Detectives believe the front of the vehicle would be damaged. "We did locate a mirror ... part of an outside mirror within the scene," he said.

Cycling Community Mourns

WestCycle CEO Wayne Bradshaw said Mr Paratore's death marked the sixth cycling death in WA this year, compared to an average of four a year.

Mr Bradshaw said WA laws requiring drivers to pass cyclists while maintaining a distance of at least one to 1.5 metres — depending on the speed limit — was not working.

"The feedback we get from people who are on bikes [is] that safety is the number one priority, and the safe passing law that's in place has not really been effective," he said.

"Let's open up the discussion about presumed liability so that the evidence is not required by the cyclist, it's actually required by the driver to prove that they weren't at fault," he said.

Government Response

Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Rita Saffioti highlighted road infrastructure as a key measure to improve cyclist safety.

"Such as more dedicated paths, and that's why with new infrastructure ... we basically separate the cyclists from the cars where possible," she said.

Ms Saffioti would not be drawn when asked about whether the government would consider changing the law to make it easier for cyclists to prove their case in the event of an incident.

"We're always continuing to look at how we can improve the safety of our cyclists," she said.