Tasmania Police constable Cassandra Richardson found guilty of causing death by negligent driving
A young police constable charged over the deaths of a mother and son after a 2022 road crash was disqualified from driving at the time of the incident, a magistrate has found. The full findings.
Tasmania
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The negligent driving of a Tasmania Police constable was a significant cause of the deaths of a mother and son, who were killed in a road crash in 2022, a magistrate has found.
The officer was also disqualified from driving, due to a mix up with paperwork, at the time of the incident.
On May 10, Teresa Brown, 51, and her 16-year-old son Jim, were killed in a crash at Penna, after their vehicle collided with another car along Brinktop Road.
Cassandra Richardson, 28, had pleaded not guilty to six charges over the incident.
On Friday, Magistrate Andrew McKee found Ms Richardson guilty of two counts of causing death by negligent driving, driving without due care and attention and of driving while disqualified.
Two counts of contravening vehicle standards were dismissed.
Magistrate McKee found Mrs Brown was required to make an evasive manoeuvre, after Ms Richardson’s 2014 Toyota HiLux veered into her lane.
He said Ms Brown’s car, a 1998 Daewoo Lano, collided with a third vehicle, as a result of having to take evasive action.
He rejected theories that Mrs Brown had left the road because prescription medication had made her drowsy, that she had suffered a heart attack or that her vision was obscured by the sun.
“I am satisfied Ms Richardson’s driving was negligent. She failed to maintain proper control of her vehicle when she entered into Mrs Brown’s lane by up to half a car’s width,” Magistrate McKee said in his findings.
“I have found that Ms Richardson’s driving caused Mrs Brown to take evasive action which ultimately led to the collision and her and Mr Brown’s death.”
He said Ms Richardson negligence was a “substantial or significant cause of the death of Mrs Brown and Mr Brown.
It was also found Ms Richardson made admissions at the scene of the tragedy, telling one witness “it’s not going to be okay, I’m a cop … what have I done.”
“Ms Richardson on a number of occasions accepted responsibility for causing the collision. She made a number of admissions against her interest,” he said.
Magistrate McKee found Ms Richardson’s driver’s licence was disqualified at the time of the crash.
While undertaking police duties on January 21, 2022, she drove past a speed camera 45km/h above the limit.
A normal driver would have been automatically suspended for four months, but because of her police duties, she was lawfully entitled to drive at this speed.
Magistrate McKee said Ms Richardson had applied for the infringement to be set aside, but the notice was not returned to the correct office.
Various notices about the disqualification were subsequently sent to Ms Richardson’s home, which she “disregarded in good faith the matter had been resolved”.
Her disqualification commenced on March 23, meaning on May 10 she was not permitted to drive.
Ms Richardson will be sentenced in November.
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Originally published as Tasmania Police constable Cassandra Richardson found guilty of causing death by negligent driving
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