A man who died in hospital days after a serious crash that saw him thrown from his vehicle near Launceston Airport was speeding and not wearing his seatbelt, a coroner says.
Brian Thomas Carroll, 81, was driving south along Hobart Road near Breadalbane at around 125km/h in an 80km/h zone when he failed to negotiate a roundabout, mounted a traffic island, hit a street sign and rolled, destroying a light pole in the process.
Police arrived at the scene in the early hours of September 2, 2022, to find Carroll “lying face down” on the road and still alive.
He passed away in the Launceston General Hospital five days later from injuries consistent with a traumatic brain injury.
“It is difficult, indeed impossible, to determine why Mr Carroll was driving where and when he was when he crashed,” Coroner Simon Cooper said.
“There is no evidence that alcohol, drugs or whether road conditions played any role in the happening of the crash.”
Cooper noted that Carroll had recently undergone surgery to remove a benign mass from his mouth, with his wife describing him as a “changed man after his operation” and “delusional”.
This may be “some explanation” for the cause of the crash, according to Cooper.
“I convey my sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr Carroll,” he said.
