Young man dies after deciding to walk from Bridgewater into city

A decision to walk into Hobart from Bridgewater after missing a bus had fatal consequences for young pedestrian, a coroner’s report has found.

MISSING the bus ended in tragedy for a young man hit by a car as he walked at night on the Brooker Highway in 2020.

Coroner Robert Webster has released his findings into the death of Tristram Parr who was killed after a night drinking with mates in Bridgewater.

Mr Parr, 29, decided to walk back to his West Hobart share house after he missed the bus in Bridgewater by just minutes.

Mr Webster found Mr Parr’s decision was influenced by his level of intoxication and that decision was a dangerous one given his state of sobriety, dark clothing and his apparent indifference to vehicles travelling on the busy roadway at Granton.

On November 20, 2020, Mr Parr caught a bus from Hobart to Bridgewater with his mate to visit a mutual friend.

Tristram Parr

They got there about 5pm and Mr Parr was drinking cask wine. He left at 9pm to catch the bus but had left too late.

He was seen - and cautioned - on the Brooker Highway by a motorist at around 9.20pm.

The driver pulled up beside him and wound down his passenger window and asked him what he was doing and whether he wanted to get run over.

Later, another motorist was heading from Granton into the city.

He began checking over his right shoulder while driving his ute on the ramp from Black Snake Lane in preparation to merge into the southbound lanes of the highway.

He then heard a loud bang and felt an impact to the left front of his vehicle.  He immediately slowed and stopped his vehicle.

He  ialled 000 and commenced CPR until emergency services arrived at the scene.

Ambulance Tasmania received the call to attend at 9.40 pm. A crew was immediately dispatched and arrived at the scene at 9.47 pm.

On arrival Tasmania police were already on the scene and CPR was in progress.

Officers observed that Mr Parr had sustained significant injuries and therefore a

a decision was made to cease CPR because Mr Parr had already passed away, Mr Webster said in his findings.