The long-running controversy surrounding former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has resurfaced, with cyclist Ryan Meuleman filing a lawsuit in the Federal Court against Andrews and his wife Catherine over a collision that occurred more than a decade ago.
The incident, known as the “Bike Boy” scandal, dates back to 2013 when a 15-year-old Meuleman was seriously injured after his bicycle and the Andrews family’s car collided in Blairgowrie, on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. Catherine Andrews was driving at the time, with Daniel Andrews—then opposition leader—and their three children as passengers.
Meuleman alleges that the car struck him, while the Andrews family maintains the opposite — that the cyclist crashed into their vehicle. The case was previously investigated by Victoria’s anti-corruption commission (IBAC) after police officers who responded to the crash failed to breathalyse Catherine Andrews at the scene, despite official protocols requiring them to do so. IBAC eventually cleared police of misconduct.
Now aged in his twenties, Meuleman is seeking damages in the Federal Court. He claims the original investigation was mishandled and that he was pressured by his former lawyers into accepting an $80,000 settlement from the Transport Accident Commission along with a non-disclosure agreement.
Earlier this year, Meuleman reached a settlement with law firm Slater and Gordon, which he accused of failing to properly pursue the case. His new legal team, Blair Arthur & Associates—run by lawyer Natalija Nikolić, formerly of Nick Xenophon’s firm—has since reopened the matter.
In a written statement, Meuleman said he would not comment publicly “out of respect and deference to the Federal Court” but added that he continues to advocate for a full criminal investigation into the accident that “almost killed” him. He said new evidence is being compiled to present to Victoria Police’s Chief Commissioner in the coming weeks.
Daniel and Catherine Andrews have consistently denied any wrongdoing, saying the matter has already been “comprehensively investigated” by both police and the state’s corruption watchdog.
“While we are sorry that the cyclist was injured in the accident, we did nothing wrong,” they said in a statement last year.
The controversy, which resurfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic amid online conspiracy theories, has continued to shadow Andrews’ political legacy even after his resignation as premier in 2023.
