An elderly woman fatally struck by a car in Hobart’s CBD on her 81st birthday may have been invisible to the driver, a coroner’s report has revealed.
Irene Ganley died on May 2, 2019, two days after being hit while crossing the intersection of Harrington and Victoria streets.
She had spent the morning celebrating her birthday with a hair appointment, walking through the city before the tragic collision.
Coroner Robert Webster said Ganley stepped off the footpath at the intersection at 2:49pm and 42 seconds.
Five seconds later, she was struck by a Nissan Pathfinder making a right-hand turn from Harrington Street.
“As a result of the collision Mrs Ganley falls backwards onto the road with significant force,” he said.
Paramedics rushed to the scene and transported Ganley to the Royal Hobart Hospital.
Despite medical intervention, her family was informed that the severity of her injuries made survival unlikely.
Webster noted that police initially observed the sun glaring into the eyes of motorists at the intersection, but that it took several days for officers to carry out further investigations into the crash’s underlying cause.
Webster criticised this delay, saying these investigations “should have been conducted” before the driver was charged with negligent driving and driving without due care and attention.
Those charges were ultimately found not proved and dismissed by a magistrate, who determined the driver’s vision was compromised by one or more factors.
These included the sun shining directly into his eyes, the potential glare caused by sunglasses and shadowing along Victoria Street.
The investigation also revealed that Ganley’s clothing may have blended with the building behind her, further obscuring her from the driver’s view.
“I convey my sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Mrs Ganley,” Webster said.
