Finding into death of Frank Cecil Baker
Deceased
Frank Cecil Baker
Demographics
77y, male
Date of death
2023-05-03
Finding date
2025-02-20
Cause of death
Injuries sustained in a motor vehicle collision (driver)
AI-generated summary
Frank Cecil Baker, 77 years old, died in a motor vehicle collision on wet roads with poor surface conditions. While not a clinical case, this coronial finding highlights the importance of recognising environmental hazard factors that may affect older drivers. Baker had multiple comorbidities including COPD, hypertension, and osteoporosis. The truck driver lost control on a flushed road surface in wet conditions; skid resistance testing showed friction well below highway standards. Multiple similar loss-of-control incidents had occurred at the same location since 2016. Road conditions were the primary contributing factor. The coroner identified systemic failure in road maintenance and safety monitoring, recommending urgent resurfacing before winter 2025.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Contributing factors
- Poor road surface condition with flushed bitumen and low aggregate exposure
- Reduced wet weather skid resistance
- Wet weather conditions
- Road maintenance and asset management failure
Coroner's recommendations
- Immediately prioritise resurfacing of westbound lanes of Bellarine Highway in Wallington (between Curlewis Road and Fenwick Street) in the interest of public safety
- Complete resurfacing before winter 2025 rains to prevent prolonged hazardous road conditions
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