A coroner has handed down her findings into the death of a young motorcyclist from Nepal, who was killed in a crash with a car at Wynyard the day before his motorcycle test.
Sashant Sigdel, 27, died on March 30, 2022, while riding to Stanley when he was hit by a car at an intersection.
Coroner Olivia McTaggart said in her findings that the crash was caused by a “momentary lack of proper attention” from the driver of the car, Fiona Heazlewood.
Heazlewood was charged with causing Sigdel’s death by negligent driving, convicted and sentenced to a fully suspended prison term of four months and a two-year driving ban.
The coroner noted that Heazlewood had a good driving record and had not been involved in any prior crashes in the 20 years she had held a licence.
“She did not see the motorcycle, as she should have, before pulling out onto the highway,” McTaggart said.
“A crash occurred and Mr Sigdel was thrown into the air and over Ms Heazlewood’s car, before landing on the road.”
Motorists stopped to provide assistance to Sigdel, who was unconscious and unresponsive, but he was unable to be saved.
The coroner said safety upgrades to the intersection have since been completed to prevent similar crashes in the future.
These include adding a dedicated right turn lane and closing Wilkinson Street at the Bass Highway end.
