Emerson, Jarrod Barton
Deceased
Jarrod Barton Emerson
Demographics
23y, male
Date of death
2006-12-22
Finding date
2009-06-19
Cause of death
Multiple injuries due to motor vehicle accident (pedestrian)
AI-generated summary
Jarrod Barton Emerson, aged 23, died on 22 December 2006 after being struck by a motor vehicle while walking on an unlit road at night. The deceased had consumed alcohol (BAC 0.098%) and was walking in the roadway attempting to hitch a ride. Multiple witnesses observed him staggering and behaving unpredictably on the road in darkness, causing alarm to several drivers before he was struck. The driver, an off-duty police officer, was travelling at the speed limit (80 km/hr) and expert collision analysis concluded the driver was not at fault and the collision would have been very difficult to avoid. This case highlights the dangers of pedestrians walking on roadways at night, particularly when impaired by alcohol, and the difficulty drivers have in detecting pedestrians in unlit areas wearing dark clothing.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- Pedestrian walking on roadway in unlit area at night
- Pedestrian wearing dark clothing
- Alcohol intoxication (BAC 0.098%)
- Pedestrian attempting to hitch a ride
- Pedestrian engaging in unpredictable and dangerous behaviour on road
- Poor visibility conditions at night
- High speed limit (80 km/hr) in area
Coroner's recommendations
- Where a police officer is under investigation by police in connection with a death, the investigating police should, as far as practicable, be officers from a region not connected with the officer under investigation
- The chain of command in such matters should be clearly set out in a protocol document, including the role and authority of the Ethical Standards Unit of the Queensland Police
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