Young woman’s tragic road death at Elizabeth Town linked to drugs and mobile phone use

A coroner has handed down his findings in the tragic road death of a young Tasmanian woman last year.

A YOUNG woman who died in a car crash at Elizabeth Town had significant levels of the drugs ice and MDMA in her blood at the time, a coroner says.

Emma Frances Hayes, 28, was also likely using her mobile phone just before the July 2020 tragedy.

Sadly, the Blackstone Heights resident died at the scene after colliding head-on with another vehicle.

In his findings released Thursday, Coroner Simon Cooper said Ms Hayes was driving a Ford vehicle along the Bass Highway towards Launceston on the night of July 20.

Blackstone Heights resident Emma Hayes, 28, died at the scene after a head-on collision at Elizabeth Town in July 2020. Picture: Instagram

He said she’d left the correct lane and travelled to the other side of the road.

Police previously said the 42-year-old driver of the other car suffered serious injuries and his 35-year-old female passenger suffered minor injuries.

“Ms Hayes had significant amounts of methamphetamine and MDMA in her body,” Mr Cooper said.

“Nothing about the condition of the road, the weather, the actions of other road users or the roadworthiness of either vehicle involved in the crash caused or contributed to Ms Hayes’ death.

“It seems likely that Ms Hayes was using her mobile phone in the immediate lead up to the occurrence of the crash.”

She suffered multiple fatal injuries including damage to her organs, fractures and haemorrhaging.

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