Inquest into the death of Sky HEFFERNAN
Deceased
Sky Heffernan
Demographics
17y, female
Date of death
2020-06-22
Finding date
2022-05-11
Cause of death
Multiple injuries sustained in motor vehicle collision
AI-generated summary
Sky Heffernan, a 17-year-old L-plate driver, died in a motor vehicle collision on Bulga Road near Wingham, NSW on 22 June 2020 after being observed speeding (108 km/h in an 80 km/h zone) by Senior Constable Reid. Reid performed a U-turn and activated warning lights intending to conduct a traffic stop. Ms Heffernan increased speed and lost control approximately 3 km south, colliding with another vehicle head-on. The coroner found Reid acted in accordance with NSW Police Safe Driving Policy and did not initiate a pursuit. Vehicle examination revealed both rear tyres had poor tread depth below legal limits, which may have contributed to loss of control on the narrow, winding road. This case highlights the interaction between police traffic enforcement, driver response, and vehicle maintenance defects in a tragic outcome.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- Excessive speed (108 km/h in 80 km/h zone)
- Poor tread depth on both rear tyres below legal limit of 1.5mm
- Loss of vehicle control on narrow, winding country road with multiple bends and crests
- Driver response to police traffic stop attempt
Coroner's recommendations
- None explicitly stated. Coroner noted that the ICV (In-Car Video) system failure was not problematic for recommendation purposes as the system is ageing and being replaced by Traffic & Highway Patrol Command with new video recording technology.
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