A man who died following a crash with a log truck on Tea Tree Road last June may have been distracted at the time, a coroner has found.
Andrew Constantine Georgiou, 51, was driving home from Richmond after coffee with his partner when he crossed the centre line and collided with the semi-trailer on June 22, 2023.
Coroner Olivia McTaggart said Georgiou passed several trucks travelling in the opposite direction prior to the crash, which his partner said had caused him to slow down.
The truck driver was driving at approximately 85km/h in the 100km/h zone when he saw Georgiou’s Mini Cooper crossing into his lane.
McTaggart said the truck driver did not have enough time to swerve and avoid the collision but managed to steer left, causing the truck to roll onto its side.
Georgiou was trapped inside the Mini with multiple leg and pelvic injuries and was airlifted to the Royal Hobart Hospital, where he underwent surgery.
He died a week later due to complications from his injuries.
“I am satisfied upon the evidence that Mr Georgiou unintentionally drove onto the incorrect side of the road and the Mini crashed into a truck travelling lawfully in its correct lane,” McTaggart said.
“Mr Georgiou, who was conscious after the crash, told various people at the scene that he must have been distracted at the time.”
The coroner said this is the most likely explanation for the crash and that the truck driver was unable to avoid it.
She also ruled out any issues with the condition of either vehicle, the weather or the road as contributing factors.
