Finding into death of Francesco Vicendese
Deceased
Francesco Armando Vicendese
Demographics
81y, male
Date of death
2010-05-04
Finding date
2013-05-17
Cause of death
Multi-organ failure complicating head, chest and abdominal injuries sustained due to impact by tram (pedestrian)
AI-generated summary
An 81-year-old man with multiple comorbidities (diabetes, hypertension, chronic renal impairment, past stroke, pacemaker) was struck by a tram while crossing Sydney Road in Brunswick on 29 April 2010. He sustained multiple head, chest, and abdominal injuries and died on 4 May 2010 from multi-organ failure. The coroner found insufficient evidence that the tram driver could have avoided the collision despite the family's concerns about driver perception and reaction time. The driver acted promptly upon perceiving the pedestrian, applying brakes within approximately one second. Key limitations in reconstructing the incident included imprecise and contradictory witness descriptions of the deceased's walking speed and crossing time. The coroner noted concerns about delayed family notification of death and delayed police contact with the family.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Clinical conditions
Procedures
Contributing factors
- Pedestrian failure to keep proper lookout when crossing road
- Pedestrian stepping out from between parked cars without checking for trams
- Pedestrian's slow walking speed and inability to clear the roadway quickly
- Possible distraction of pedestrian by recently obtained medication
Coroner's recommendations
- The hospital should inquire into how the error in notifying the family of Mr Vicendese's death arose and provide an explanation to the family
- Police and relevant authorities should investigate why there was a significant delay in police contact with the family (no contact until November 2010)
Full text
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