Inquest into the death of Daniel Wall
Deceased
Daniel Wall
Demographics
42y, male
Date of death
2017-09-25
Finding date
2019-11-21
Cause of death
Multiple injuries from fall from height
AI-generated summary
Daniel Wall, aged 42, died from injuries sustained after falling 9.5 metres from a cliff while evading police on 25 September 2017. He was driving disqualified and under the influence of methamphetamine when police followed his vehicle. After abandoning his car, he fled into bushland at night. Critical failures included: police officers' complete lack of concern for his welfare despite dangerous terrain; failure to identify the driver despite prior contact with him; failure to search the abandoned vehicle which contained his phone; inadequate handover procedures between shifts; and the vehicle's disposal without proper investigation. The coroner found no formal policy addressing welfare concerns for unidentified drivers who abscond in high-risk environments. Early searches, proper vehicle examination, or driver identification could potentially have altered the outcome by enabling earlier location of the deceased.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Drugs involved
Contributing factors
- Driving disqualified
- Driving under the influence of methamphetamine
- Attempting to evade police
- Unlit bushland with dangerous topography
- Police lack of concern for welfare of fleeing driver
- Failure to identify driver despite prior contact
- Failure to search abandoned vehicle
- Inadequate shift handover procedures
- Vehicle disposed of without investigation
- No formal police policy for welfare concerns regarding unidentified fleeing drivers
Coroner's recommendations
- Police should develop and implement formal procedures for welfare concerns regarding unidentified drivers who abscond in police operations, particularly in high-risk environments
- Police should conduct searches of abandoned vehicles to identify the driver, at least through examination of the glove box
- Police should establish clearer protocols for shift handovers in police follow incidents, including explicit communication of welfare concerns
- Police vehicle disposal procedures should be electronically recorded on COPS to ensure continuity and prevent loss of critical information
- Abandoned vehicles should initially be towed to roadside rather than impound yards to allow for proper council processes
- Police should establish formal policies addressing the tension between pursuing offenders and maintaining concern for their welfare in dangerous terrain
- Supervisory review should be undertaken of police follows that result in vehicle abandonment to ensure appropriate investigation and follow-up
Full text
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