Coroner's Finding: Woods, Brian Oakley
Deceased
Brian Oakley Woods
Demographics
79y, male
Date of death
2016-09-25
Finding date
2017-12-08
Cause of death
Head and chest injuries sustained in a single motorcycle crash
AI-generated summary
Brian Oakley Woods, aged 79, died from head and chest injuries sustained in a single motorcycle crash on the Tasman Highway. While an experienced rider with 65 years riding experience, Mr Woods overtook two motorcycles at excessive speed (well over 120 km/h) on a blind corner across unbroken double white lines where overtaking was prohibited. He then applied heavy rear brake, lost control, and collided with Armco railing. Bystanders provided immediate CPR for approximately 8 minutes until paramedics arrived. The crash investigator concluded poor cornering technique combined with excessive braking caused the collision. No alcohol or impairing substances were detected. This case illustrates the catastrophic consequences of high-risk overtaking manoeuvres and excessive speed, even for highly skilled riders.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- excessive speed (well in excess of 100 km/h speed limit)
- illegal overtaking across unbroken double white lines on blind corner
- poor cornering line
- heavy application of rear brake causing loss of control
- collision with Armco railing
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