McDonald, Kerry-Ann
Deceased
Kerry-Ann McDonald
Demographics
female
Date of death
2004-10-23
Finding date
2006-01-10
Cause of death
Multiple injuries as a consequence of motor vehicle trauma caused by being run over by a Kawasaki loader
AI-generated summary
Kerry-Ann McDonald died after being run over by a Kawasaki loader at a remote gypsum mining operation in western Queensland. She had been told to remain in the truck cabin during loading operations but exited the vehicle and lay down on the ground to look at stars, subsequently falling asleep. The loader driver, reversing the machine to complete loading the opposite side of the trailer, struck her in an area of poor visibility at the rear of the machine. The coroner found this was a tragic but rare accident resulting from Ms McDonald's decision to leave the truck against instructions, rather than operator negligence. No criminal charges were recommended. The remote location (195 km from Winton) meant that despite prompt attempts to obtain medical assistance, her severe injuries proved fatal. The coroner noted that expert surgical intervention at a major teaching centre might have offered an outside chance of survival.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- Deceased exited truck cabin despite being instructed to remain inside
- Deceased lay down on ground in area of poor visibility behind loader
- Poor rear lighting on loader machine
- Blind spots on loader including engine cowling restricting rear vision to approximately 10 metres
- Pillar at rear of cabin obstructing rear vision
- Passenger side of truck and trailers not well lit during loading operations
- Remote location 195 km from Winton limiting access to emergency surgical care
Coroner's recommendations
- The coroner noted that Mr Coupe and the Mines Inspectorate have already addressed all recommendations that could have been made since the tragedy, including matters of poor communication and allowing visitors on site
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