Lanena double fatal: ‘Inexperience, wet road’ led to death of passengers Donald and Judy Riley

A new report has found a Tasmanian learner driver was not negligent when she lost control of her vehicle in rainy conditions and collided with an oncoming van, killing two family members.

Donald Riley, 45. Mr Riley died as a result of a traffic accident on the West Tamar Highway at Lanena on August 20, 2021. Picture: Supplied

A new report has found a Tasmanian learner driver was not negligent when she lost control of her vehicle in rainy conditions and collided with an oncoming van, killing two family members.

Rather, Coroner Robert Webster found the “inexperience” of driver Brittany Wright (aka Donoghue), coupled with the “wet road,” led to the collision that killed Ms Wright’s great aunt Judy Riley, 75, and her uncle Donald Riley, 45.

The collision occurred at about 3.20pm on August 20, 2021, at Lanena on the West Tamar Hwy, Mr Webster said in a report published on Friday.

Ms Wright was driving her Ford sedan north, with Ms Riley in the front passenger seat and Mr Riley in the rear. At the same time, a man driving a Toyota van was travelling south on the highway.

Ms Wright’s car entered a “sweeping left-hand curve,” crossing onto the incorrect side of the road and colliding several times with a railing. The van driver witnessed the sedan attempt to steer away from the railing before its passenger side collided with his vehicle, killing the Rileys.

“At the time of the collision it was raining and the road surface was wet. Visibility was good,” Mr Webster said.

Judy Riley, 75. Ms Riley died as a result of a traffic accident on the West Tamar Highway at Lanena on August 20, 2021. Picture: Supplied

Senior Constable Michal Rybka, a crash investigator, said the only likely culprits were the wet conditions and Ms Wright’s inexperience.

“The Ford sedan entered a sweeping left hand curve in the roadway where loss of control has

occurred. This has most likely been in the form of the vehicle’s wheels slipping on the wet

roadway,” he said.

“There is no evidence to support that excessive speed or mobile phone use were contributing factors. Drugs and alcohol were not factors.

“Besides the road and weather conditions contributing to this crash, I believe that inexperience has been a major contributing factor in this crash.”

Snr Const Rybka said she had about 80 hours’ experience at the time of the collision and was driving a different vehicle to the station wagon in which she had performed most of her hours.

There were differing accounts as to how fast Ms Wright was travelling at the time of the collision.

Clarence Point woman Brittany Wright (aka Donoghue), 20. Ms Wright was the driver and survived a crash in wet, greasy conditions on the West Tamar Highway which resulted in the deaths of two family members. Picture: Alex Treacy

According to Ms Wright, she estimated her speed at 65km/h at the time she lost control, but witnesses estimated her speed at closer to 80–100km/h. Snr Const Rybka thought she was travelling between 70–81km/h. Mr Webster found she was travelling between 70–90km/h.

Mr Webster said that the Director of Public Prosecutions had considered Ms Wright’s driving did not add up to negligence.

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“He noted there were some minor offences she could have been charged with, for

example, failing to display L-plates and the fact that the supervising driver [Mr Riley] should have been in the front passenger seat,” Mr Webster said.

“He thought there was significant public interest in not pursuing them as Ms Wright has had a horrific experience and she has suffered the loss of two close relatives.”

Mr Webster did sound a note of caution about a subsequent conviction of Ms Wright’s, less than two months after the accident, for driving while unaccompanied by a full licence holder, for which she was disqualified for three months.

“Ms Wright would be foolish to continue to behave in this way because she would be putting herself and other road users at risk,” Mr Webster said.