Why Isn’t Olympian Rohan Dennis Being Held Criminally Responsible in His Wife’s Death? Reexamining the Night He Struck Fellow Cyclist Melissa Hoskins with His Car

When two-time Olympic cyclist Melissa Hoskins was struck by a car outside of her Australian home in December 2023, news of the tragedy sent shockwaves through the Olympic community.

The shock grew when Hoskins later died of her injuries and police revealed that her husband, former Olympian and world champion cyclist Rohan Dennis, was behind the wheel. He was soon arrested and charged in relation to her death.

Almost a year later, Dennis pleaded guilty to the aggravated charge of “creating the likelihood of harm,” which reportedly carries a maximum sentence of seven years. And though the charge means that the retired cyclist isn’t being held criminally responsible for his wife’s death, his guilty plea does mean that he admitted to driving the car when she was in close proximity, knowing that she could potentially be harmed.

“There was no intention of Mr Dennis to harm his wife,” his attorney, Jane Abbey KC, told the court, per BBC.

So how did Melissa Hoskins die, and why did her husband, Rohan Dennis, plead guilty? Here’s everything to know about the Olympian’s death.

Who is Rohan Dennis?

Rohan Dennis is a former Olympic cyclist and world champion. He rode for Team Australia, winning the silver medal in 2012 and the bronze medal in 2020.

According to Hoskins’ Instagram posts, she and Dennis started dating sometime in 2012, the same year they both competed at the London Olympics. Dennis and Hoskins married in February 2018.

After winning two world championships, the couple decided it was time for Dennis to retire.

In 2019, he walked off the Tour de France during the middle of the race because he “didn’t want to be a statistic of a sportsperson who was potentially going to be divorced,” per VeloNews.

“I had a pretty frank conversation with my wife before the Tour de Suisse and some of the things she said really did hit home about the type of person I was becoming because of the situations I was in and the way I was handling them,” Dennis said.

According to CyclingNews.com, he announced on his now-private Instagram in 2023 that he was retiring from the sport. Dennis thanked Hoskins for her support and for “raising two of the best kids.”

Who was Melissa Hoskins?

Melissa Hoskins was a former track cyclist who competed for Team Australia in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. According to The New York Times, she also won the gold medal in the same event at the 2015 World Championships.

During the 2016 Olympics, Hoskins was hospitalized after her pursuit team crashed during an exercise. She announced her retirement from the sport the following year, telling CyclingNews.com that she sensed it was “time for a new chapter.”

“Cycling can be an extremely selfish sport, and when you have two people – me and Rohan – in the same household trying to be the best of the best. We’ve done really well over the past five years, but I think now where he is with his career and where I was with mine, another four years until the next Olympic cycle would have been really hard,” she said.

How did Hoskins die?

On Dec. 30, 2023, Dennis struck Hoskins with his Volkswagen Amarok Highline, a large SUV-style truck, outside of their home. While the details leading up to her death are still unclear, police told The Australian that Dennis drove with Hoskins on the hood of the vehicle and she fell to the ground.

According to a release from the South Australia Police, she “suffered serious injuries” and died overnight in the hospital. She was 32.

“Words cannot convey our grief, sadness and the tragic circumstances of Hoskins’ passing,” her parents and sister said in a statement. “Not only have we lost a daughter and sister, her children have lost their mum, a freewheeling spirit, a giver with a big heart, patience and zest for life.”

A few days before the fatal incident, Dennis shared a photo of his family in front of a Christmas tree with the caption, “Merry Christmas from our family to yours.”

What was Dennis charged with?

At the time of the incident, Dennis was charged with causing death by dangerous driving and driving without due care. If convicted, he faced up to 15 years in prison, per The New York Times.

On Dec. 10, 2024, Dennis pleaded guilty to the aggravated charge of “creating the likelihood of harm,” which means though his actions were reckless, he’s not criminally responsible for his wife’s death. The lesser charge carries a shorter maximum sentence than what he was originally facing and when he entered the plea deal, the charges of causing death by dangerous driving and driving without due care were dropped.

Per BBC, Court Magistrate Justin Wickens explained the charges further, saying that Dennis was driving while Hoskins was nearby or on the vehicle and that he got behind the wheel even though he was aware it could cause her harm.

Wickens also said it was an aggravated offense because Dennis and Hoskins were in a relationship.

What will happen to Dennis now after he pleaded guilty?

Dennis’ new charge carries a maximum sentence of seven years.

His sentencing hearing is set for Jan. 24, 2025.