Inquest into the death of Barbara Malthouse, Nigel Inkamala, Daryl Inkamala, Dion Ngalken, Gordon Murray and Antonia Meneri
Deceased
Barbara Malthouse; Nigel Max Inkamala; Daryl Inkamala; Dion James Ngalken; Gordon Napthali Murray; Antonia Meneri
Date of death
2007-12-07
Finding date
2009-12-17
Cause of death
Multiple injuries arising from an unintentional motor vehicle rollover where they were passengers. Acute alcohol toxicity was a contributing factor.
AI-generated summary
On 7 December 2007, six Aboriginal passengers (Barbara Malthouse, Nigel Inkamala, Daryl Inkamala, Dion Ngalken, Gordon Murray, and Antonia Meneri) died in a motor vehicle crash near Alice Springs, NT. All were unrestrained in a car driven by Edgar Inkamala, who had fled a police random breath testing station while carrying alcohol to a dry community. The driver lost control at excessive speed on a bend at Hugh River causeway, the vehicle rolled three times, and all six passengers were ejected and died from multiple injuries. Acute alcohol toxicity was a contributing factor. The coroner investigated whether police pursuit was contributory, finding that the pursuing officers failed to conduct proper risk assessments as required by policy, but that the pursuit had 'very little impact' on the driver's acceleration and crash. The coroner criticized delayed investigation submission and recommended practical mock pursuit training for NT police.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Specialties
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
Contributing factors
- Unrestrained passengers
- Driver intoxication (BAC 0.086%)
- Excessive speed
- Inadequate lighting
- Driver inexperience and unlicensed
- Unfamiliarity with vehicle
- Sharp right-hand bend in road
- Police pursuit (found to have minimal causal impact)
Coroner's recommendations
- Practical mock pursuit training should be taught as part of recruit or advanced driver training and made regularly available to NT police members
Full text
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