Inquest into stolen car crash death of 14yo begins in Cairns

A sergeant tasked with reviewing the crash that killed a 14-year-old passenger in a stolen car has told a coronial inquest she believed police “should have disengaged”.

Scene of a fatal traffic crash at Manoora, where an allegedly stolen Toyota Yaris left Pease Street near the Saltwater Creek bridge and crash into a tree. A 14 year old boy was declared dead at the scene, and 5 other children aged 12 to 15 were taken to Cairns Hospital with injuries. Floral tributes at the scene of the crash lay amongst broken car pieces and tree bark. Picture: Brendan Radke

A sergeant tasked with reviewing the crash that killed a 14-year-old passenger in Far North Queensland has told a coronial inquest she believed police “should have disengaged”.

The inquest is investigating the death of a boy who died in Manunda on Valentine’s Day of 2022 after the stolen vehicle he was in with five other occupants crashed into a tree.

Headed by State Coroner Terry Ryan, it will explore the adequacy and appropriateness of the Queensland Police Service’s actions on the day of the incident, whether the officers involved complied with the relevant QPS policies and procedures and the adequacy of the training provided to QPS officers involved.

The boy’s injuries were so significant he died by the side of the road.

Three young girls were also seriously injured with a 12-year-old being left a quadriplegic.

The inquest will hear from 28 witnesses including 15 police officers, child safety and youth justice representatives, service providers and the boy’s Aunt and Uncle who were also observing the proceedings.

Detective Sergeant Theresa Downey was the first witness called to give evidence on Monday.

She told the court she prepared a 49-page report into the police operation that night as part of her role with Ethical Standard Command and flew to Cairns the morning of the incident to begin investigations.

She oversaw interviews with officers and the other children involved in the incident.

She told the court the police operation involved multiple vehicles covertly monitoring the stolen vehicle in an attempt to set up locations where a tyre deflation device could be used to stop the vehicle.

The crash scene after an stolen car crashed into a tree and killed a 14-year-old boy in the early hours of Sunday morning. There were six youths in the stolen car, Manoora, Cairns. Photo: 9News Queensland

She said the strategy was employed to attempt to avoid a pursuit but one may be engaged after a tyre deflation device is used.

Sergeant Downey said a communications co-ordinator would usually assist with an operation.

She said the co-ordinator when interviewed had expressed concern that “an unofficial pursuit” had been carried out on the night in question.

Ms Downey said if the communications co-ordinator was aware there was an unofficial pursuit they should attempt to call it off, but ultimately instructions would come from the forward command officer organising the operation.

She said she was able to identify times where police could have attempted to intercept the vehicle and said that a marked police car began “a protracted follow” of it.

From her interviews with the children she told the court they became aware they were being followed by the police and increased their speed, however when the officers were interviewed they believed at the time the occupants were not aware.

The court heard the police vehicle was at times driving as fast as 125k/h in a 60 zone in order to “get eyes on” the vehicle.

In her report Sergeant Downey concluded that once the occupants had become “police aware” the police “should have disengaged”.

When asked if she believed the boy’s death was preventable the sergeant told the court she was not able to make that determination as there were a large number of factors that contributed to the accident.

Scene of a fatal traffic crash at Manoora, where an allegedly stolen Toyota Yaris left Pease Street near the Saltwater Creek bridge and crash into a tree. A 14 year old boy was declared dead at the scene, and 5 other children aged 12 to 15 were taken to Cairns Hospital with injuries. Picture: Brendan Radke

Sergeant Declan Oliver who was acting as command officer organising the operation conceded communication could have been improved but his role involved trying to keep awareness of up to six crews.

He said new police assets such as the Polair helicopter meant that such operations were safer with police not needing to be anywhere near vehicles to continue to monitor their movements.

The inquest will also explore the appropriateness of the boy’s residential placements and support services provided by Child Safety in the months leading up to his death while in the department’s care.

Counsel assisting the Coroner Melia Benn told the court the boy had an extremely tough life — discovering his mother after her death by suicide at age ten and his father after his death by drug overdose at the age of 12.

The inquest is expected to continue over seven days.

Originally published as Inquest into stolen car crash death of 14yo begins in Cairns