Coroner's Finding: Dishman, Stephen
Deceased
Stephen James Dishman
Demographics
70y, male
Date of death
2022-03-29
Finding date
2023-04-05
Cause of death
Cervical spine (C3/C4) fracture dislocation
AI-generated summary
Stephen Dishman, a 70-year-old American motorcycle enthusiast, died from cervical spine fracture (C3/C4) sustained in a motorcycle crash on the Tasman Highway near St Helens, Tasmania. He was riding an experienced-owned vintage motorcycle on a clear day on a well-maintained road. The coroner found he was travelling below 60 km/h but too fast to safely negotiate a tight left-hand bend marked with a 45 km/h advisory sign. The motorcycle's left footpeg scraped the ground causing the bike to become upright, cross the centre line onto the gravel verge, enter a culvert and impact a bank. Despite medical assistance at the scene, Mr Dishman died from his injuries. An autopsy revealed some heart disease but this did not contribute to the crash or death. This was a tragic accident involving speed inappropriate for road conditions rather than recklessness or inattention.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- Travelling too fast to safely negotiate the bend
- Excessive lean angle causing footpeg scrape
- Inappropriate speed for the tight left-hand bend marked with 45 km/h advisory sign
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