Deceased
Samuel John Whitney
Demographics
18y, male
Date of death
2019-04-19
Finding date
2020-05-04
Cause of death
Traumatic closed head injuries sustained in a motor vehicle collision
AI-generated summary
Samuel John Whitney, aged 18, died from traumatic closed head injuries sustained as a passenger in a motor vehicle collision. The driver, Todd Blackberry, briefly lost concentration on a curved section of road, causing the vehicle to drift into the gravel verge. After harsh steering correction, the vehicle entered an uncontrolled skid, crossed into oncoming traffic, and struck a power pole on the passenger side. Mr Whitney was not wearing a seatbelt (the passenger belt was inoperative), and the collision speed and side-impact angle meant that even a functioning seatbelt would likely not have prevented fatal injuries. Both occupants had consumed alcohol (Whitney 0.097 g/100mL, Blackberry 0.059 g/100mL), though neither appeared overtly affected. The collision was not caused by excessive speed, road conditions, vehicle defects, or impairment, but rather a momentary lapse in driver attention.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Clinical conditions
Male, female, male, female·Nicholas Brown: combined drug (methadone and benzodiazepine) intoxication; Toni …
Joint inquest into four deaths of individuals prescribed opioid replacement therapy by Dr J. between September 2016 and August 2017: Nicholas Shane Brown (35), Toni Lee Wiki (38), Matthew Wayne Winwood (47), and Belinda …
40y · Male·Unascertained
Nathan James Taylor, aged 40, died in Port Lincoln Prison on 24 March 2022 while in custody pending trial on witness interference charges. He had significant medical history including infective endocarditis with tricuspi…
56y · Male·Unascertained
John William Swiety, 56, disappeared on 17 March 2023 in bushland near Goongerah, Victoria, after traveling with Daniel Harrison. Harrison's account contains significant inconsistencies and omissions. Although charged wi…
Source and disclaimer
This page reproduces or summarises information from publicly available findings published by Australian coroners' courts. Coronial is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any coronial court or government body.
Content may be incomplete, reformatted, or summarised. All court orders for redaction and non-publication are respected; documents with technically defective redaction have been excluded from the database entirely. Always refer to the original court publication for the authoritative record.
Copyright in original materials remains with the relevant government jurisdiction. AI-generated summaries and tagging are for educational purposes only, may contain inaccuracies, and must not be treated as legal documents. We welcome feedback for correction —