Frankston City Motorcycle Park slammed at coronial inquest into death of rider Sebastian D’Imperio
A mum has described the Frankston City Motorcycle Park as being “governed by teenage testosterone” during an inquest into a motorbike rider’s death.
South East
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Frankston City Motorcycle Park’s approach to safety was a “free for all” where rules designed to stop riders being killed were flouted because of “teenage testosterone”, a coronial inquest has heard.
The inquest into the 2017 death of Sebastian D’Imperio, 16, on Tuesday heard from local mum Maryanne Duffin, who stopped her son, Harrison, from riding at the track amid her family’s concerns about lax safety standards.
Sebastian’s death was the third at the volunteer-run, recreational facility at Seaford.
Ms Duffin described the track’s culture towards safety as a “free for all, governed by teenage testosterone” and said she was once “told off” by officials for calling an ambulance for a girl who had broken both her arms in a crash.
She said an intermediate track, for younger riders on less powerful bikes, was never marshalled, other than by parents.
She said the main track, where Sebastian died, often had riders informally “racing each other” on it, and saw riders with “extreme differences” in ability on the track at the same time.
Sebastian died when he misjudged a jump and crashed heavily, falling in the path of another rider, who had either collided with him or with his bike.
Ms Duffin said she only once saw riders taken off the main track and warned about dangerous riding when she confronted a marshall on a busy day.
“It was absolutely packed … we actually went to speak to one of the marshalls and said, ‘they need to be called in and told to slow down’,” she said.
“They told everyone to pull their heads in and to slow down, there were no consequences, and then they were OK for a couple of laps.”
Ms Duffin said riders at other tracks would be told to “get off and go home” if they ignored safety rules.
The inquest into Sebastian’s death is probing safety at the track, which was also the focus of an inquest into the 2015 death of Danny Edlington, who died when another rider landed on top him when he landed awkwardly after a jump.
In 2003, 12-year-old Blade Barrett also died of head injuries after a crash at the track.
The inquest continues.
