Coroner's Finding: Handley, Jim
Deceased
Jim Colin Handley
Demographics
31y, male
Date of death
2023-12-02
Finding date
2026-05-26
Cause of death
multiple (head, chest, spine, pelvic and limb) injuries
AI-generated summary
On 2 December 2023, Jim Colin Handley, aged 31, a motorcycle enthusiast and chef, died in a motor vehicle accident in Launceston, Tasmania. While riding his motorcycle at 103–106 km/h in a 50 km/h speed zone, he performed a wheel stand stunt. His motorcycle collided with a Subaru being driven by Michelle Taylor, who was attempting a U-turn. Handley was ejected and sustained fatal multiple injuries including head, chest, spine and pelvic trauma. Toxicology was negative for alcohol and drugs. The coroner found the collision was entirely preventable and resulted from Handley's reckless, excessive-speed stunt riding in an urban area. Had he been driving at 65 km/h, the other driver would have safely cleared the intersection. The coroner made no recommendations.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- excessive speed (103-106 km/h in a 50 km/h zone)
- performing wheel stand stunt on motorcycle
- limited visibility due to motorcycle headlight pointing upward during wheel stand
- failure of other vehicle driver to see motorcycle
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