Coroner's Finding: Peart, Alexander Alfred and Ruby Rose

18y · Male·Alexander Alfred Peart: chest and abdominal injuries sustained in single vehicle crash. Ruby Rose Peart: head and chest injuries sustained in single vehicle crash

Two deaths resulted from a single-vehicle crash on 15 September 2016 in Tasmania. An 18-year-old L1 novice driver, operating unaccompanied and therefore illegally, evaded a random breath test site by performing a U-turn and high-speed driving. The vehicle reached minimum speeds of 116 km/h in a 60 km/h zone, lost control on a corner, and struck a power pole at 95 km/h minimum speed. The driver sustained unsurvivable chest and abdominal injuries. His 2-year-old daughter, restrained in a child seat, died from head and chest injuries. Toxicological analysis detected THC (cannabis) in the driver's blood but not alcohol. The coroner found the driver made an impulsive decision to evade police, likely due to panic about his unlicensed driving status and possible cannabis impairment affecting cognitive function and inhibition. Police pursuit procedures were reviewed and deemed appropriate. No medical care failures were identified.