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Inquest into death of John Wayne Woods

Deceased

John Wayne Woods

Demographics

male

Date of death

2019-09-03

Finding date

2019-10-28

Cause of death

multiple and massive, unsurvivable lethal injuries sustained as a result of a motor vehicle accident

AI-generated summary

John Wayne Woods died in a motor vehicle collision on the Monaro Highway when his vehicle crossed onto the wrong side of the road and collided with an oncoming truck. While the dashcam footage raised the possibility of deliberate collision, the coroner found insufficient evidence to sustain a finding of suicide. Key considerations included: the deceased's phone calls immediately before the crash indicating normal functioning; his recent recovery from bowel cancer and return to full-time work; his forward-thinking attitude and work ethic; and the unlikelihood he would deliberately endanger another driver. The coroner noted that absence of brain examination limited investigation of possible medical causes such as cerebral event. An open finding was made as to manner of death.

AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.

Contributing factors

  • vehicle crossed onto wrong side of road
  • possible undiagnosed cerebral medical condition
  • no brain examination performed due to nature of injuries
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