Finding into death of Succurine Mascarenhas
Deceased
Succurine MASCARENHAS
Demographics
54y, female
Date of death
2013-04-07
Finding date
2014-07-03
Cause of death
Multiple injuries sustained in a motor vehicle incident (driver)
AI-generated summary
A 54-year-old woman died from multiple injuries sustained in a motor vehicle collision on Melba Highway, Victoria. She was struck by a large truck and trailer that had lost control on a wet road with poor surface conditions and low friction. The truck was travelling at the posted speed limit but faster than advisable for wet conditions on that road. The trailer had an ineffective brake assembly that may have contributed to instability, though mechanical failure was not the direct cause. The collision resulted from the combination of vehicle speed, wet road conditions, poor road surface friction below acceptable standards, and an unladen truck and trailer configuration. The coroner found no evidence of driver impairment and recommended road resurfacing and maintenance of the reduced speed zone subsequently implemented.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- truck travelling faster than advisable for wet conditions despite being at posted speed limit
- wet road surface
- poor road surface condition with low friction value below acceptable standards
- unladen truck and trailer configuration affecting stability
- ineffective brake assembly on trailer offside front axle causing possible brake pull and trailer instability
- weeping shock absorbers on trailer
Coroner's recommendations
- Vic Roads should review the road and consider resurfacing it in an attempt to prevent incidents of a similar nature in the future
- The lowered speed zone from 100km/h to 80km/h implemented after the collision should be maintained
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