Jury Thompson named as cyclist who died three months after collision with truck in Napier

Jury Thompson from Napier regularly cycled from Napier to Hastings. Photo / Warren Buckland.

A well-known Hawke's Bay cyclist killed as the result of a collision between his bike and a truck Napier has been farewelled by friends and family.

Friends and family of Jury Kehu Thompson, 59, gathered on Monday at his whanau's homestead in Bridge Pa, followed by internment at Korongata urupa, Bridge Pa.

Thompson died as a result of injuries suffered in the crash at the intersection of Hyderabad Rd and Prebensen Drive, Napier, in late August.

The avid cyclist made headlines in the early 2000s for cycling between Napier and Bridge Pa on his home-made bike he called 'truck'.

The bike was created from recycled chairs he welded together, bicycle parts, and other recycled items.

A Hawke's Bay Today article from 2002 said Thompson was born in Hastings. He was been deaf almost since birth and went to a school for the deaf near Christchurch, the article said.

A trained cabinet maker, he would ride his bike for two-hours to Bridge Pa every week where he would spend a day or two.

Emergency Services attended the crash on August 28 and a St John Ambulance took him to the Hawke's Bay Hospital.

Witnesses at the scene described the crash as "scary".

Napier Glass employee Jody Kara remembered the crash as being "one of the worst incidents" he had witnessed.

"It's a shame he passed away. We [Kara and the other witness Connor Robertson] thought he was going to make it."

Robertson and Kara were also responsible for calling emergency services to the scene.

The pair saw Thompson and a truck and trailer, travelling in the same direction, out of Prebensen Dr, collide.

Kara said he heard about Thompson's death over the weekend.

"We didn't hear anything from the family. They had no reason to get in touch.

"But one of my workmates' mother knows his family so she attended the funeral."

Police said in a statement their sympathies were with Thompson's family during this difficult time.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing.