Ellison, Ronald; Sylvester, Jacqueline
Deceased
Ronald Anthony Ellison and Jacqueline Sylvester
Demographics
unknown
Date of death
2009-12-04
Finding date
2014-05-20
Cause of death
Multiple injuries due to motor vehicle accident (pedestrian)
AI-generated summary
Ronald Ellison (46) and Jacqueline Sylvester (40) were struck by a speeding vehicle driven by Brett Glenbar (BAC 0.147) who lost control while negotiating a curve on Chambers Flat Road, Park Ridge, QLD on 4 December 2009. Police had activated emergency lights to intercept the vehicle for speeding (recorded at 134 km/h in an 80 km/h zone), but Glenbar accelerated. The police vehicle pursued at 186 km/h to attempt interception. Glenbar's vehicle reached 188 km/h entering the fatal curve, lost control in a 'yaw', left the roadway, and struck the couple with catastrophic force. The coroner found no pursuit occurred under QPS policy (a non-pursuit matter), but noted the police vehicle's speed breached urgent duty driving policies. The deaths were instantly fatal due to extreme impact forces. Clinical learning: this case highlights how intoxicated driving, excessive speed, and loss of vehicle control on curves present catastrophic collision risks, particularly for pedestrians with no time to react.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Specialties
Error types
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
Contributing factors
- driver intoxication (BAC 0.147)
- excessive vehicle speed (188 km/h in curve)
- loss of vehicle control on curve
- police attempted interception
- pedestrians crossing road on unlit stretch
- vehicle traveled off roadway for 105 metres
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