Mercury (Hobart)

Assault before crash

- ANNIE MCCANN

ADAM David Robertson had assaulted his partner and suffered drug-induced paranoia before he drove across the highway centre line and crashed, killing himself and two men on their way to work.

Mr Robertson, 35, had also failed to correctly restrain his children as passengers in his car, but neither child sustained significan­t injuries.

Coroner Andrew McKee handed down his findings on Thursday into the deaths of Mr Robertson, Rodney Leo Rowe and Shane Elliott Williamson following a head-on collision on Bass Hwy, Carrick in the early hours of February 26 last year. Mr Robertson had been using illicit drugs, namely methylamph­etamine, in the days before his crash, and his partner gave evidence that he had not slept and was paranoid.

“In the hours preceding the collision (Mr Robertson’s partner) was the victim of a violent assault upon her person by Mr Robertson,” Mr McKee said.

After this, Mr Robertson put their children in the car and urged his partner to get in.

She refused and hid in a shed until he left. The woman headed to a neighbour’s house 30 minutes later and asked them to call triple-0.

About 5.20am Mr Robertson was heading east on the Bass Hwy in his partner’s Toyota Prado. A witness estimated he was travelling about 110-115km/h.

In a Mazda BT-50, 65year-old Mr Williamson was giving 63-year-old Mr Rowe a lift to their workplace in Stanley and the car was observed to be obeying road rules.

The pair worked as cladders.

Mr McKee said the Mazda was travelling west on the Bass Hwy when the cars collided head-on, killing Mr Robertson, Mr Williamson and Mr Rowe at the scene.

“The collision between the two vehicles occurred when the Toyota driven by Mr Robertson crossed the centre line on the roadway and travelled on to the incorrect side of the roadway,” Mr McKee said.

Toxicology reports determined Mr Williamson had no alcohol or illicit drugs in his system, but Mr Robertson had ingested methylamph­etamine.

Mr Williamson was travelling about 100km/h while Mr Robertson was driving 110-115km/h.

A transport safety inspector said there were no faults in the Toyota that might have caused it to veer into the wrong lane.

“Mr Williamson was observed by two witnesses to be driving in an appropriat­e manner, within the speed limit,” Mr McKee said.

Mr McKee accepted Mr Robertson caused the crash.

The coroner said the influence of meth “played a significan­t part in this collision occurring”. “This case is another example of the consequenc­es that flow from individual­s driving motor vehicles after consuming illicit substances,” he said.

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 ?? ?? Emergency services attend the fatal crash on the Bass Highway last year.
Emergency services attend the fatal crash on the Bass Highway last year.

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