Qld: Coroner criticises police pursuit in schoolgirl's death
Fri Jul 17 19:31:33 EST 2009
EDS: Adds comment from police minister
BRISBANE, July 17 AAP - Police should have called off the pursuit of a stolen vehicle before it struck and killed a schoolgirl on a pedestrian crossing, a coroner in Queensland has found.
Delivering his findings in the inquest into the death of 13-year-old Caitlin Myfamwy Hanrick, coroner Michael Barnes said pursuing officers had ignored their "obligation to terminate if safety was in doubt".
Caitlin was struck and killed on December 4, 2006, by a stolen vehicle driven at speed by a woman who was under the influence of both alcohol and drugs.
The accident occurred as she crossed between the two campuses of Redcliffe State High School at lunchtime.
The driver, Adrielle (Adrielle) Coolwell has been sentenced to nine years in jail.
Under police procedures, officers are obliged to call off a vehicular pursuit if it poses an unacceptable risk to anyone
"There was ample time, opportunity and reason for it to be terminated, well before tragedy struck," Mr Barnes said.
Mr Barnes said that one of the pursuing vehicles did not notify other police that they had joined the pursuit, as required, and he termed their attempts to cover it up as "specious".
"There were other serious failures of communication," the coroner said, including that they tried to conceal breaches of the pursuit policy.
"The combined effect of Ms Coolwell's dangerous driving and the failure of the officers to comply with departmental policy resulted in the death of an innocent schoolgirl," the coroner found.
Mr Barnes also found the officers had later tried to conceal their actions.
He said he would take further evidence in considering whether police pursuit policies need changing.
A media statement issued by the Queensland Police Service late on Friday said the findings would be carefully considered.
Police Minister Neil Roberts said the government would examine the coroner's report into the death and work to address any issues identified.
"I received the report this afternoon and have asked Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson for a full briefing on the coroner's findings as a matter of urgency," Mr Roberts said.
Caitlin's mother Jenny Hanrick declined to criticise the police and vowed to make school crossings safer.
"(The inquest) answered a lot of questions and that was very important for us," she said.
"I just want everyone to remember it's all about a beautiful girl," she told reporters outside the court.
