Glennon, Lardeen Bernadette; Glennon, Matthew David
Deceased
Lardeen Bernadette Glennon and Matthew David Glennon
Demographics
14y, male
Date of death
2011-09-25
Finding date
2017-12-01
Cause of death
Lardeen Bernadette Glennon - Multiple injuries due to motor vehicle trauma; Matthew David Glennon - Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, torn aorta due to motor vehicle accident (passenger)
AI-generated summary
Two people, a mother and her 14-year-old son, died in a motor vehicle collision on the Peak Downs Highway when their vehicle was struck by another driver attempting a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre. The driver of the striking vehicle was travelling at approximately 160 km/h (60 km/h over the speed limit) in a 100 km/h zone. The mother had appropriately signalled her intention to turn right off the highway. Critical clinical lessons: the coroner made no medical findings, as this was a fatal traffic collision investigation. However, the case highlights the importance of accurate data capture and interpretation in forensic analysis. The coroner emphasised that airbag control module data should be admissible in criminal trials, as it provides objective evidence of vehicle speed at the time of collision. The coroner recommended legislative review to clarify duties of overtaking drivers and to facilitate admission of event data recorder evidence in Queensland courts.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- Excessive speed by driver of striking vehicle (160 km/h in 100 km/h zone)
- Dangerous overtaking manoeuvre of multiple vehicles in single manoeuvre
- Failure of driver to give way to vehicle turning right
- Failure to see or anticipate turning vehicle
Coroner's recommendations
- The Queensland Government review and consider implementing a specific legislative provision to allow for the admissibility of downloaded motor vehicle event data recorder (EDR) data reports, similar to section 95A Evidence Act (Qld)
- The Queensland Government within 6 months review the laws regarding overtaking, particularly overtaking of multiple vehicles in a single manoeuvre, to determine if they are adequate or should be more appropriately expressed in the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act
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