Finding into death of Julie-Ann Margaret Johnston
Deceased
Julie-Ann Margaret Johnston
Demographics
61y, female
Date of death
2018-07-20
Finding date
2020-07-31
Cause of death
Injuries sustained in a motor vehicle collision (pedestrian)
AI-generated summary
A 61-year-old woman was struck by a bus at Croydon Railway Station while crossing a pedestrian zebra crossing. She sustained severe injuries and went into cardiac arrest upon arrival at Royal Melbourne Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The bus driver, travelling at approximately 12km/h through the terminus, failed to give way to the pedestrian despite having ample visibility. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death. The coroner found no mechanical faults with the bus and no impairment of the driver. The investigation identified systemic safety concerns at the bus terminus, including driver complacency due to repeated daily passages through the area and lack of speed control measures. The coroner recommended a safety audit to assess additional measures such as speed humps or give-way signage to improve pedestrian safety at the location.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Procedures
Contributing factors
- Bus driver failed to give way to pedestrian at zebra crossing
- Driver complacency due to repeated daily passages through the terminus
- Lack of speed control measures at bus terminus
- Absence of signage reinforcing give-way obligations
- Bus driver's failure to observe pedestrian despite ample visibility
Coroner's recommendations
- Conduct a safety audit of the bus terminus at Croydon Railway Station to determine whether there are additional safety measures, such as speed humps or give-way signage, suitable to improve and ensure the safety of pedestrians at Croydon Railway Station. This audit should be conducted by the Secretary of the Department of Transport working with the Executive Director of Metro Trains Melbourne and the Co-ordinator of Engineering Services and Strategy at Maroondah City Council.
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