Inquest into the death of Albert CONSTABLE
Deceased
Albert Constable
Demographics
63y, male
Date of death
2013-05-23
Finding date
2014-01-31
Cause of death
Multiple blunt force injuries and mechanical asphyxia
AI-generated summary
Albert Constable, a 63-year-old heavy vehicle driver, died when his truck suddenly swerved across the median strip and crashed into a building at approximately 11:30 PM on 23 May 2013. The coroner found no mechanical fault or evidence of acute medical deterioration. Although Constable had medical conditions including depression, hypertension and type 2 diabetes, these were well-managed and not contributing factors. The coroner determined the death resulted from momentary inattention—the driver likely failed to notice stationary vehicles at traffic lights until too late. Rather than collide with those vehicles, Constable deliberately swerved across to the wrong side of the road, a dangerous decision that resulted in fatal injuries from blunt force trauma and mechanical asphyxia. The driver was not fatigued according to log-book records. Suicide was ruled out given the circumstances and evidence of adequate antidepressant management. The crash occurred at an intersection with poor visibility and multiple light sources, during conditions conducive to brief driver distraction.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Drugs involved
Contributing factors
- momentary inattention while driving
- failure to notice stationary vehicles at traffic lights
- poor visibility at intersection during night-time with multiple light sources
- complex road topology with hill crest and curves
- deliberate evasive maneuver to avoid colliding with stationary vehicles
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