Snapped carbon fibre bicycle frames and broken bodies lay on the ground, a shocking intrusion in the Friday ride a group of friends had been taking along the Brisbane River for years.
Two riders were “wedged” against the silver Mitsubishi Magna that “struck” the cycling group as it turned across busy Dornoch Terrace about 6.20am.
Another two had “supermanned” down the road, according to a fellow cyclist, who came around the corner seconds after the shocking collision.
Rider Julian Drake, saved by his lack of fitness after a few months off the bike, was trailing behind his fellow Venerdi Corsa (Italian for Friday race) riders by a few hundred metres as they picked up speed down the hill.
“It’s very rare that you come round the corner with a bunch of people you were just with and five of them are laying on the ground,” he said.
“...Carbon frames are so strong these days, I’ve had a few crashes years ago and never damaged a frame.
“When you suddenly see three snapped carbon frames in one collision, that’s a sudden incident. They haven’t had an opportunity to brake to smash those frames like that.”
Five of Mr Drake’s friends, aged between 45 and 54, were taken to hospital, two with serious injuries, after the horror crash.
The value of the smashed bikes went to $10,000-$15,000 each, he said.
Police were still investigating on Friday, with no decision made on possible charges.
Mel Fitzgerald, 54, was the worst injured, rushed to the Princess Alexandra Hospital with what paramedics described as critical injuries to her head and body, but in a stable condition.
Core group rider Phil Pearce’s knee was bleeding profusely as Mr Drake and an unrelated cyclist worked to stem the blood flow while another rider’s broken leg bone punctured the skin.
Waiting in the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital with his wife, Caroline, who was the least seriously injured of the five, David Shellberg said he was hopeful his wife could make it out of hospital by the end of the day.
He said the two other riders taken to the RBWH had “various broken bones” and described them as “not good, very upset”, when he last saw them late Friday morning.
“The car looks like it’s been hit by another car, doesn’t it,” Mr Shelberg said, at the scene of the crash.
Sloping Dornoch Terrace is a popular route for cyclists, particularly on Friday and Saturday mornings, forming part of the River Loop ride.
Mr Shelberg and Mr Drake said Venerdi Corsa riders had included the loop in their group ride repertoire for years.
Local councillor Jonathan Sri said there was “conflict” between cyclists, motorists and pedestrians on the road and urged the council to drop the speed limit to 40km/h, which would affect both riders and drivers.
“We’re talking about a steep and windy road that has a sharp bend at the bottom of the hill,” he said, adding there were also few places for pedestrians to cross safely.
“I’ve repeatedly asked council to drop the speed limit, repeatedly asked for barrier-separated bike lanes.”
Local resident Colin Veerman said the road was an “accident waiting to happen” and the solution was simple: “Make the bikes go slower”.
“Especially Friday morning, Saturday morning, hundreds of them go by at incredible speed,” he said.
The Magna driver, a 22-year-old Beenleigh driver with P plates on his car, escaped injury.
He and his friends did not want to speak to the media at the site of the crash.
Police said the car had been turning into a driveway when it collided with the cyclists, while Mr Drake and Mr Shelber said they believed he was trying to U-turn.
A paramedic raised the possibility the driver had the sun in his eyes and did not see the oncoming riders but Mr Drake said he did not believe the sun had risen high enough for that at the time of the crash.
"Most of us are a bit stunned," he said.
"We were just riding together and now five of us are in hospital."
Police investigations continue.