Coroner's Finding: Lawrence, Timothy Michael
Deceased
Timothy Michael Lawrence
Demographics
32y, male
Date of death
2017-10-22
Finding date
2020-03-02
Cause of death
Multiple injuries sustained in personal watercraft crash
AI-generated summary
Timothy Michael Lawrence, a 32-year-old experienced PWC operator, died following a collision with a stationary illuminated navigation beacon while operating his personal watercraft in darkness. He had consumed alcohol (blood alcohol concentration 0.163 g/100mL) and cannabis before accepting a passenger and attempting to ferry three men across Marion Narrows. The collision occurred at considerable speed, resulting in severe head, chest and leg injuries with near-instantaneous death. No mechanical defect was found with the PWC. The coroner concluded the high blood alcohol concentration significantly impaired his judgement, coordination and critical decision-making, directly contributing to the fatal accident. The dark conditions without moonlight also likely contributed. This case illustrates the serious risks of operating PWCs while intoxicated.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Specialties
Contributing factors
- High blood alcohol concentration (0.163 g/100mL)
- Impaired judgment and coordination due to alcohol intoxication
- Dark conditions with no ambient light or moonlight
- Operation of PWC while affected by alcohol
- Cannabis use
- Collision with stationary navigation beacon at considerable speed
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