A PEDESTRIAN who was badly hurt when he was struck by a motorcycle died from a separate medical condition, a pathologist has told a Bendigo court.
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The motorcyclist charged over the Long Gully collision, 20-year-old Emerson Alan Julian, appeared in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court on Monday.
He was committed to stand trial on charges including dangerous driving causing death after Magistrate Russell Kelly ruled there was enough evidence for the case to proceed to the County Court.
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Police alleged on December 12, 2019, Mr Julian was riding along Wood Street in Long Gully on a green Kawasaki motorcycle.
Orazio Longano, better known as Fred, was crossing the road when Mr Julian allegedly hit him.
The 77-year-old, who was well-known for his Bendigo restaurant Fred's Pizza, was taken to hospital but died on January 6, 2020.
Forensic pathologist Dr Victoria Francis told the court Mr Longano's cause of death was multiple organ failure as a result of a condition caused by a perforated bladder.
Dr Francis said Mr Longano's bladder was likely to have been cut a few days before his death during a procedure to insert a catheter.
The forensic pathologist told the court the injuries Mr Longano sustained from the crash would not have been life-threatening in isolation.
But Dr Francis noted Mr Longano also had a longstanding heart condition, which would have put the 77-year-old at risk of a cardiac event.
Three bystanders who saw the 2019 crash gave evidence to the Bendigo Magistrates' Court on Monday.
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One of the witnesses said they saw Mr Julian travelling at about 70km/h before colliding with Mr Longano on Wood Street.
The witnesses said they did not see any sign that Mr Julian tried to slow down before the crash.
Reconstruction expert Detective Senior Constable Melanie MacFarlane told the court Mr Julian was likely travelling between 45km/h and 55km/h when he hit Mr Longano.
But Senior Detective MacFarlane said there was no evidence to show the speed Mr Julian was travelling at prior to the crash.
Defence lawyer Markorius Habib told the court the prosecution did not have enough evidence to show Mr Julian caused Mr Longano's death.
Mr Habib said it was clear the perforated bladder, and the subsequent Peritonitis condition, killed Mr Longano rather than the injuries he sustained during the collision.
But prosecutor Peter Pickering argued that Mr Longano was in hospital in the first place because of the injuries he sustained in the crash.
Mr Pickering said there was sufficient evidence for the prosecution to proceed on the dangerous driving causing death charge.
Magistrate Russell Kelly said the defence raised a valid point but it would be a matter for the jury to decide.
Mr Kelly committed Mr Julian to stand trial in the County Court.
The 20-year-old formally entered pleas of not guilty to charges of dangerous driving causing death, dangerous driving causing serious injury, and careless driving.
Mr Julian was granted bail ahead of his directions hearing in August.
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