Finding into death of Michael Patrick Ormsby

9y · Male·Motor vehicle accident related multi trauma

Michael Ormsby, a 9-year-old boy with severe autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability requiring constant supervision, died from multi-trauma injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident. While under respite care at Kyneton Bushland Resort, he became distressed after a visit with his father and bit his carer Jessica Stuart, causing her to release her grip. Michael ran into darkness across unfenced grounds onto Edgecombe Road where he was struck by a vehicle travelling at 54 km/h. The coroner found no blame attached to any party. The tragic incident highlights the inherent risks of caring for severely behaviourally dysregulated children with autism in community settings. Enhanced environmental safeguards, such as secure perimeter fencing and improved lighting around care facilities, and clear protocols for managing behavioural crises in open environments, may have altered the outcome.