Coronial findings into 28-year-old’s 2024 head-on collision with road train released

Fatigue has been named the primary cause of a horrific 2024 head-on collision that cost a Top End disability worker his life. Read the details.

Coronial findings into the death of a 28-year-old on the Stuart Highway near Renner Springs on July 19, 2024, have been released.

The coroner has blamed fatigue for the death of a 28-year-old who veered out of his lane and collided with a road train heading in the opposite direction last year.

The man died after his vehicle collided with a road train carrying cattle in its three trailers near Renner Springs, about 40km south of Elliott, on July 19.

The driver of the sedan died on impact, while the road train driver was taken to Tennant Creek Hospital to be assessed at the time.

Some of the livestock in the truck were badly injured and had to be euthanized.

It was part of a horror 24 hours on Territory roads following a triple fatal contributing to 2024’s death toll of 60.

Coroner Elisabeth Armitage said available evidence indicated the driver had been awake for 36 hours prior to the crash, and had been on the road for 13 hours prior to the incident on July 19.

Her report, released on Tuesday, found two of the fatal five were in play prior to the incident with the 28-year-old also not wearing a seatbelt.

Territory Coroner Elisabeth Armitage. Picture: Glenn Campbell

However, due to the severity of the head on collision between the two vehicles, wearing a seatbelt was found to not have been a factor in the man’s death.

Background information compiled for the coroner’s report reveals the 28-year-old was originally from Queensland, and relocated to Darwin in January 2022.

At the time of his death he worked in the disability sector.

The report stated the man had been out drinking and socialising the day before the crash, but was involved in a physical altercation and was asked to leave the unit he was living in and “not return”.

He left the unit at 2:50am, stating he was planning to return to Queensland.

The report found fatigue as the likely primary cause of the crash, and that there was no evidence of negligence or fault by the truck driver.

It also noted that no evasive actions by the man’s car were observed, and the vehicle maintained a “steady trajectory” into the road train’s path.

“There is no conclusive evidence to suggest suicide as the cause of the collision,” the report read.

“The available facts point to fatigue as the more likely cause of this crash.

“Responsibility for the collision lies with the driver who was driving on the wrong side of the road and collided head-on with the road train.”

Originally published as Coronial findings into 28-year-old’s 2024 head-on collision with road train released