A 23-year-old Adelaide motorcyclist has died in a crash just weeks before he was set to marry his longtime partner.
Aidan Alchin, of Salisbury Heights, was riding his Yamaha along Gorge Road in Paracombe, in the Adelaide Hills, when he collided with a Mitsubishi sedan and a Subaru sedan at about 12.50pm on October 5.
Mr Alchin was due to marry Hayley Sutter, a South Australian finalist in the Miss Universe 2025 competition, on December 12 in Hamilton, South Australia. The couple had been together for five years.
News of his death prompted an outpouring of grief across Adelaide’s motorcycle community, where he was widely regarded as a much-loved and respected member.
Northern Group Riders Adelaide remembered Mr Alchin as a devoted and dependable son, brother, nephew and fiancé to Hayley.
Friend Louis Parcel described him as an “almost 7ft legend” who would be deeply missed, praising his extraordinary kindness and “heart of absolute gold”.
In a social media tribute, Mr Parcel said Mr Alchin was the kind of person who would immediately put everything aside to help someone and could always be relied upon. He also recalled how Aidan acted as a protective presence whenever friends were filming in or around the city.
Mr Alchin had previously survived a serious motorcycle accident in 2022, suffering injuries to his lower back.
Aidan Alchin died in a motorcycle crash on Labour Day, only two months before his planned wedding to Hayley Sutter
The 23-year-old was remembered as a cherished figure in Adelaide’s motorcycle community
Friends and relatives described Mr Alchin as caring, loyal and generous, with a “heart of absolute gold”
After the earlier crash ended his construction career, he began working in his father’s locksmith business and enrolled in locksmithing studies at TAFE Queensland.
Fellow motorcyclist Dylan Thorp said Mr Alchin’s death had delivered a devastating reminder that tragedy can happen without warning on the road.
He urged riders to look after their friends, stay in contact, respect their limits and take every possible precaution to return home safely.
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Mr Thorp added that the motorcycle community was like a family and had lost one of its own.
Mr Alchin had been preparing to join a motorcycle ride organised by Two Wheel Turtles on October 9, held in memory of another rider. Following his death, organisers said the event would also become a tribute to Aidan.
The group said riders had lost both a friend and a brother, sharing their condolences with the wider motorcycle community.
Organisers remembered Aidan as welcoming and approachable, someone who was always ready for a conversation, a laugh and time spent with fellow riders.
They called on the community to support the Friday ride and make it the biggest possible celebration of Mr Alchin’s life.
Mr Alchin died after his motorcycle was involved in a collision with two cars at Paracombe on Monday
SA Police Inspector Mark Atkinson urged motorists to ‘make safer choices’ on the roads following two deaths in the state over the long weekend
‘Ride eternally Aidan! The TWT crew will miss you mate.’
Mr Alchin was one of two people killed on South Australian roads over the Labour Day long weekend, with a separate crash at Virginia on October 4 claiming the life of a 52-year-old man.
South Australia Police Inspector Mark Atkinson said the deaths had prompted a renewed plea for motorists to take care on the roads.
‘We need members of the community to ride and drive like their life depends on it, because it does,’ he said.
‘Please make safer choices before more families are left grieving.’
SA Police urged motorcyclists to ride within their capabilities, reduce their speed and adjust their riding to road and weather conditions.
Drivers were also reminded to obey speed limits, avoid distractions, wear seatbelts and never drive while impaired.