Blockley, Michael Gary; Watson, Stevie Lee; Teske, Neil Lackland; Donaldson, Michael Bruce; and Nugent, Christopher John

Queenstand Government

TOOWOOMBA CORONERS COURT FINDINGS OF INQUEST

CITATION: Inquest into the deaths of:

• Michael Gary Blockley

• Stevie Lee Watson

• Neil Lackland Teske

• Michael Bruce Donaldson

• Christopher John Nugent

TITLE OF COURT: Coroners Court JURISDICTION: Toowoomba

FILE NO’S: COR- 1077/06(6) COR- 1076/06(0) COR- 1074/06(7) COR- 1073/06(1) COR- 1118/06(4) DELIVERED ON: 27 October 2006 DELIVERED AT: Toowoomba

FINDINGS OF: Mr Greg Mcintyre, Coroner

| FIND:

That the names of the deceased were as follows:

1. Michael Gary Biockley, Late of 2 Victor Street, Toowoomba

2. Stevie Lee Watson, Late of 15 Larkin Street, Gatton

3. Neil Lackland Teske, Late of 3/172 Jellicoe Street, Toowoomba

4. Michael Bruce Donaldson, Late of 1 Ure Street, Toowoomba

5. Christopher John Nugent, Late of 31A Plant Street, Toowoomba

All five persons died as a result of injuries they received from a Motor Vehicle accident which occurred on the Cecil Plains Road, Linthorpe at approximately 1:35pm on 07 April 2006.

Mr Blockley was the driver of a Holden Commodore sedan, registered number 928-HIR. The other deceased persons were passengers in that vehicle.

The Holden Commodore was travelling west on the Toowoomba-Cecil Plains Road towards Beef City at Aubigny where all the deceased worked. They were to commence work at 2:00pm.

Mr Biockley was travelling at a very high speed between 150 to 160 kilometres per hour. He drove up behind the vehicle being driven by Mr Tracey. He then overtook that vehicle.

Once he had overtaken, he then pulled back in front of Mr Tracey’s vehicle as there was another vehicle being driven by Mr Beresford coming in the opposite direction.

Once back on his correct side of the road, Mr Blockley has swerved to the left hand side of the road. He has then over corrected the Commodore sedan, and in doing so has lost control of it.

As a result of losing control, the vehicie has rotated around and slid backwards across the table drain. Once it passed through the table drain it became airborne. The rear of the vehicle has then struck a power poie and flipped over.

According to Sergeant B G Smith, the Investigating Officer:-

“The driver overtook another vehicle in an area without suitable clear visibility and without caution. The overtaking manoeuvre was performed at high speed.”

The Autopsy Report in relation to Mr Blockley establishes the clinical cause of death as follows:

~ Mr Blockley died on 07 April 2006 on the Cecil Plains Road, Linthorpe at approximately 1:35pm. He was just twenty (20) years of age having been born on 09 December 1985.

According to Dr Terry who performed the Autopsy:

“The cause of death was due to complications of head and lung trauma. The combined effects of head injury and blood within airways have resulted in hypoxia causing death. The site of the brain tumour (optic chiasm) would be expected to be associated with visual disturbance. Without formal testing the degree of impairment would not be possible to quantitate.”

The Post-Mortem summary provides:

1. Closed head injury with nasal trauma

2. Haematoma right lung

3. Significant blood in airways

4. Brain tumour (Ganglioglirnoa)

• Ms Watson was of course a passenger in the vehicle being driven by Mr Blockley. She also died on 07 April 2006 at approximately 1:35pm. Ms Watson was twenty-three (23) years of age having been born on 16 October 1982.

The Autopsy Report states that the cause of death was: “Due to massive soft tissue and bony trauma.”

The Post -Mortem summary provides:

1. Massive bony trauma including skull fracture, fractured ribs, fracture left mid clavicle, fractured ieft humerus, fractured left femur, fractured left tibia and fibula, fractured right distal radius and ulna and fracture through the lower back (L5/S1)

2. Massive soft tissue trauma including brain laceration, laceration of liver, spleen, aorta and left and right hemidiaphragms.

3. Herniation of abdominal contents into the thoracic cavity.

• Mr Teske also died on 07 April 2006 on the Cecil Plains Road, Linthorpe at approximately 1:35pm. He was also a passenger. Mr Teske was just eighteen (18) years of age having been born on 27 November 1987,

The Autopsy Report state that the cause of death was” “Due to massive soft tissue and bony injury”

The Post-Mortem summary states:

1. Fractured vertebral column (14/5, L5/S1) and fractures to the sternum, ribs, right humerus, left femur and skull.

2. Tear of descending thoracic aorta and bilateral haemothoraces.

3. Avulsion of smail bowel mesentery and large bowel mesoccion with laceration of small bowel.

4. Macerated spieen.

• Mr Donaldson was another passenger. He also died on 07 April 2006 on the Cecil Plains Road, Linthorpe at approximately 1:35pm. Mr Donaldson was twenty-six (26) years of age having been born on 22 December 1979.

The Autopsy Report states that the cause of death was: “Due to massive soft tissue and bony trauma’

The Post-Mortem summary states:

4. Laceration of cerebellar hemispheres, pons, medulla and upper cervical spinal cord.

2. Comminuted fracture of skull including maxilla and mandible.

3. Vertebral fractured including thoracis (72) and lumbar (L2) vertebrae.

4. Fractures of limbs including right humerus, right fernur, and right upper tibia

and fibula.

5. Laceration across neck including transection of right internal carotid artery

and incomplete transection of trachea.

6. Bilateral haemothoraces.

The remaining person Mr Nugent also a passenger, died at the Princess Alexandra Hospital! Brisbane, on 11 April 2006 at 7:30pm. He was twenty-two (22) years of age having been born on 30 August 1984.

The Autopsy Report states that the cause of death was:

“4(a) Multifocal ischaemic brain injury, due to or as a consequence of 1(b) Multiple injuries, due to or as a consequence of 1(c) Motor vehicle accident (passenger).

RECOMMENDATIONS:

The main concern is of course that despite all of the Government advertising, harsher penalties and Police presence, young mainly male drivers still continue to speed, and be involved in serious or fatal accidents.

| agree with the submission made by Mr Herbert and | recommend that the Managers at Australian Beef Holdings liaise with the relevant Police and Road Safety Officers to educate and try to convince their employees not to speed or engage in other dangerous conduct on the road.

i further recommend that the Director of Transport review the line markings on the relevant road.

trem

G M Melntyre Coroner

27 October 2006