Police investigated the death of a 19-year-old woman who died in a car crash on Black Mountain. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
The death of a 19-year-old woman who died in a car crash while speeding on Black Mountain “caused great grief and distress”, a coroner said.
“She was a person of great capacities and her loss was deeply felt by all who knew her,” Coroner Ken Archer said when publishing his findings for the inquest into her death this week.
“Dying in a car crash is a tragic way for such a young person to die.”
The teenager, anonymised as TL in the inquest, drove her 1986 Toyota sedan to the summit of Black Mountain at around 10 pm on 4 June 2022, where she met a man called AK.
“It is implied from the audio of the dashcam footage that they were both part of a small group who drove around suburban streets and reported their movements and observations to each other over their mobile phones,” Coroner Archer said.
TL performed two burnouts in the carpark near Telstra Tower before she and AK drove down from the summit.
The pair reached the bottom of Black Mountain Drive before TL chased AK as he sped back up the mountain. During this pursuit, she travelled over the 60 km/h speed limit and almost lost control of her car several times.
She then lost control and her car slid before crashing into a tree at approximately 80 km/h.
AK saw she crashed, so he called Triple Zero. Emergency services quickly arrived and pulled her from her car before taking her to hospital, but she died from her injuries.
Coroner Archer said the physical state of the road did not contribute to the accident, even though it was wet at the time.
He said dashcam footage and the associated audio from TL’s car allowed her movements to be reconstructed.
“That material provides insight into the potential lethality of a car driven contrary to the rules of the road, not according to weather conditions, and in excess of the capabilities of the car and its driver,” he said.
He also stated that while AK was prosecuted for a charge of furious, reckless, or dangerous driving, he was acquitted at a hearing.
The coroner was satisfied that, as the manner and cause of TL’s death were sufficiently disclosed, he did not need to hold a hearing for the inquest.
“Matters of public safety did not arise from my inquest,” he said.
“Notwithstanding the above, I have chosen to publish my findings as it is in the public interest to provide an accessible record of road accident deaths that occur in the ACT.
“I convey my sincere condolences to Ms TL’s family.”
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