Drugs and alcohol linked to pedestrians' deaths

11.45am

Alcohol and drugs were factors in the deaths of two pedestrians hit by cars, a Northland coroner has heard.

Whangarei coroner Max Atkins has found that April Dennis Rapana, 33, died on State Highway 1 near Hikurangi, 15km north of Whangarei, on February 17 this year from multiple injuries after he was struck by a vehicle at night, while urinating in the middle of the road.

Environmental Science and Research (ESR) toxicology reports said Mr Rapana had 323mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in his system at the time -- four times the legal limit for driving of 80mg.

In another inquest, the coroner found that Julian John Eddy Dowson, 21, died at Whangarei Hospital on June 9 from multiple injuries after he accidentally stepped in front of a car on SH1 at Kaiwaka.

Mr Atkins had considered evidence that stated it was "very likely" Mr Dowson was affected by cannabis.

The findings into Mr Rapana's death came after Mr Atkins had adjourned the inquest on September 15 due to conflicting evidence over where Mr Rapana had been standing.

Kirianna Hemara, who was in the car with Mr Rapana, said the car stopped and a group of men got out to go to the toilet about 9pm on February 17.

"We had been drinking," she said.

Ms Hemara said three other men in the car had relieved themselves on the south-bound side of the road near the car, but Mr Rapana had crossed the road.

Jennifer Sullivan, the driver of the car that hit Mr Rapana, said she had been driving north to Kerikeri from Whangarei with her children, aged eight and 12, in the car.

She did not recall any streetlighting in the area but had seen a parked car facing south.

"In a very short time I saw a shape in the northbound lane ... I did not see him until I was right on him and I struck him."

In a written statement police crash analyst Trevor Neave said he had calculated Mrs Sullivan's speed at the point of impact would have been 67km/h.

The driver had reacted in less than one second, he said.

However, Ms Hemara said Mr Rapana had been off to the side of the road, not in the lane, when he was urinating.

However, Mr Atkins found he had been in the middle of the road.

Mrs Sullivan appeared to have been driving with due care and attention and was as much a victim in the incident as the family, he said.

In Mr Dowson's inquest, Mr Atkins had heard that a friend had dropped him off near SH1 on June 9 minutes before the crash, but said he "didn't seem like him".

An ESR report said Mr Dowson had 3mcg of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) -- the high-inducing chemical in cannabis -- per litre of blood in his system at the time of the crash.

The report stated it was "very likely he was affected by the drug at the time of the accident".

The driver of the vehicle which struck Mr Dowson, Gena Shepherd, had been driving south about 10.15 to 10.30am and had pulled to the left of her lane as she was being passed when the crash occurred.

Mr Atkins said it did not appear the driver was the cause of the accident.

"It's very easy to not see something that appears suddenly from the side of the road."


- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)