Coroner's Finding: McDermott, Janice Faye
Deceased
Janice Faye McDermott
Demographics
62y, female
Date of death
2014-06-05
Finding date
2016-04-26
Cause of death
Multiple injuries due to being struck by a train as a pedestrian at the level crossing on Box Hill Road, Claremont
AI-generated summary
Janice Faye McDermott, aged 62, was struck by a train on 5 June 2014 while walking on a bicycle track parallel to train tracks at a level crossing on Box Hill Road, Claremont, Tasmania. She turned left onto the tracks without looking despite audible sirens and visible warning lights. The coroner found the collision was unintended and caused by her inadvertence and complacency from living near the tracks for 18 years, exacerbated by distraction. The level crossing had adequate safety precautions. She died from multiple injuries at Royal Hobart Hospital. No clinical recommendations were made. The coroner reminded the public about vigilance at level crossings.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- Did not look before crossing onto train track
- Complacency from living near train tracks for 18 years
- Habituation to warning signals and train noises
- Distraction - had matters on her mind
Coroner's recommendations
- Coroner reminds pedestrians, cyclists and motorists that vigilance is required when using level crossings throughout Tasmania
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