Witnesses sought for bike death

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Police want to speak to two tourists who left the scene of a fatal cycle crash in Christchurch's Port Hills yesterday.

A 43-year-old Christchurch man suffered horrific head injuries on Summit Rd after smashing into rocks near the Mt Cavendish Scenic reserve car park at about 11.25am.

Two friends who were following him came across the injured man being attended to by two tourists.

It is believed that the cyclist had collided with a camper van.

Acting Sergeant Richard Scott, of Lyttelton Police, said the tourists left before being interviewed by police.

"We are keen to talk to the two males because they may have witnessed the crash," he said.

One of the dead cyclist's friends said they spoke with an accent and may have been Middle Eastern.

He said it was unclear whether they left on foot or by car.

Scott also appealed for an off-duty doctor and nurse who assisted at the scene to contact police.

Scott said the man died of serious head injuries.

"He hit a rocky outcrop on a sweeping right hand bend on a relatively steep part of the road. He'd only been riding a short time and the wind was strong at the time," he said.

A St John spokeswoman said initial reports said the man had fallen off his bike.

However, another report to the ambulance service was the man had been hit by a car.

"The patient had a broken jaw and his throat had been crushed," she said.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.