Coronial
TASother

Coroner's Finding: Litchfield, Claire Louise

Deceased

Claire Louise Litchfield

Demographics

39y, female

Date of death

2019-09-19

Finding date

2023-05-05

Cause of death

Multiple injuries caused by being hit by a vehicle as a pedestrian

AI-generated summary

Claire Louise Litchfield, a 39-year-old UK tourist, died from multiple injuries sustained when struck by a vehicle driven by Allan Kelly at an intersection in Hobart on 19 September 2019. Ms Litchfield and her partner were lawfully crossing Collins Street on a green pedestrian signal when struck by a vehicle turning right. The driver had been stationary at a red light for 27 seconds and had 37 seconds of visibility of the pedestrians before impact, yet failed to see them. The coroner found the death was caused solely by the driver's failure to maintain proper attention while driving. This case illustrates the critical importance of driver vigilance at intersections, particularly when making turning movements, and highlights that even experienced drivers can fail to detect pedestrians despite adequate opportunity to do so.

AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.

Contributing factors

  • Driver failure to maintain proper attention while driving
  • Driver failed to see pedestrians despite 37 seconds of visibility
  • Driver's expired and suspended licence
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