Inquest into the death of Jaland Small
Deceased
Jaland Small
Demographics
17y, male
Date of death
2017-10-14
Finding date
2021-01-20
Cause of death
Head injuries from severe blunt force trauma sustained when a motor vehicle collided with a tree
AI-generated summary
Jaland Small, 17 years old, died from head injuries sustained when the car in which he was a passenger collided with a tree on Cedar Party Road near Taree. The vehicle was being driven by an intoxicated driver (alcohol level 0.150g/100ml) at excessive speed (estimated 140km/h) on an unlit dirt road with non-functioning headlights. A police officer had attempted to stop the vehicle for having no registration plates but made a conscious decision not to pursue after the driver did not stop. The driver lost control passing over a culvert and struck a tree. The inquest found the police officer complied with Safe Driving Policy and did not engage in an unlawful pursuit. The collision resulted from the driver's intoxication, excessive speed, and poor road conditions—factors unrelated to police actions.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Drugs involved
Contributing factors
- Driver intoxication (alcohol level 0.150g/100ml)
- Excessive speed (estimated 140km/h) on unlit dirt road
- Non-functioning headlights
- Loss of vehicle control passing over culvert
- Unlit road conditions
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