‘Racing line’ blamed for country road death of delivery driver dad, coroner finds after inquest

A young man taking a “racing line” through a curve on a country road has been blamed for the death of Mercury delivery driver and father-of 13, John Tscherkaskyj. The coroner’s findings>

Kobe Brenden McCauley, now 20, after he was sentenced in 2022.

A young Brighton man caused the tragic road death of a newspaper delivery driver when he took a “racing line” through a right-hand curve, a coroner has found.

In his findings released on Friday, Coroner Robert Webster found the August 2021 head-on collision that claimed the life of John Tscherkaskyj was caused by Kobe McCauley’s car having completely crossed lanes onto the wrong side of the road.

At a Hobart inquest held last month, McCauley said he was unable to recall why he had been on the other side of Gordon River Road, near Glenora, and denied knowingly navigating onto it.

John Tscherkaskyj, more affectionately known as John Custard Jay, with his large family. The Mercury delivery driver was tragically killed in a car accident on August 8, 2021. Picture: Supplied

Mr Webster said he accepted the opinion of a crash investigator that McCauley had taken a “racing line through the curve, thereby crossing the centre line” and driving into the lane occupied by Mr Tscherkaskyj’s vehicle.

He said a blood sample taken from McCauley, then 18, contained no alcohol or illicit drugs.

Mr Webster noted a row of conifer trees had obstructed the view of each vehicle to each driver until it was too late for either of them to manoeuvre to avoid the crash.

“This evidence indicates Mr McCauley was a youthful and an inexperienced driver, travelling on an unfamiliar rural road late at night. All these factors likely contributed to him travelling into the incorrect lane,” he said.

In October 2022, McCauley was given a suspended five-month prison term for negligently causing Mr Tscherkaskyj’s death.

He was also convicted for causing grievous bodily harm to his young passenger, Emily Wrigley, who suffered a fractured spine and underwent surgery requiring rods and bolts.

McCauley, who was also seriously injured in the crash, was disqualified from driving for 10 months.

John Tscherkaskyj died in 2021, aged 56. Picture: Supplied

Mr Webster found Mr Tscherkaskyj, who he said was not wearing a seatbelt, died at the scene from multiple head, chest and limb injuries.

The 56-year-old, affectionately known as John Custard Jay, left behind his wife Kellie-Ann Jay and their 13 children – who described him as “one of a kind”.

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