Haken, Guss Robert
Deceased
Guss Robert Haken
Demographics
21y, male
Date of death
2013-10-12
Finding date
2014-09-26
Cause of death
Cerebral trauma to pons, mid brain, thalamus and subthalamic nuclei due to unstable fracture of base of skull due to quad bike accident
AI-generated summary
A 21-year-old experienced quad bike rider died from severe head trauma sustained in a quad bike accident while pig hunting. Intoxicated (0.164% urine alcohol, three times legal driving limit), he was travelling at 30-40 km/h on unfamiliar terrain at dusk when his quad bike hit a partially obscured ditch. The impact caused the bike to somersault; his head struck the front left rack and guard. He was not wearing a helmet, only a baseball cap. While his riding skill was acknowledged, intoxication impaired hazard perception and reaction time. The coroner noted that removing one or two variables—particularly helmet use or sobriety—might have prevented the fatal outcome. No formal safety training was documented.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- Intoxication (alcohol level 0.164% urine, 0.143% femoral blood; three times legal driving limit)
- Not wearing a helmet
- Speed unsuited to terrain and visibility conditions
- Partially obscured ditch hazard
- Low sun angle at dusk reducing shadow definition and depth perception
- Unfamiliar terrain
- Culture of risk-taking behaviour demonstrated by stunting capability
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