Coroner begins inquest into pursuit death
A coronial inquest into the death of a 13-year-old Jigalong girl who was a passenger in a stolen vehicle under police pursuit began in the Port Hedland coroner's court last week.
The girl died on February 7, 2010, after the white Ford sedan in which she was a passenger became airborne and rolled between Bell Street and the Great Northern Highway in Port Hedland.
She was partially ejected from the car and, although a member of the public attempted to resuscitate her, she died at the scene.
Four other girls, all under the age of 14, were in the vehicle at the time and sustained minor injuries.
Counsel assisting the coroner, Kate Ellson, told the court last Monday how police were notified after two females were seen at the BP truck stop on Great Northern Highway refuelling a stolen vehicle before driving away without paying.
At about 7pm on February 7, Sergeant Danial Strachan activated his vehicle's lights and sirens in an attempt to stop the Falcon, but the driver did not stop.
A police pursuit ensued with the Falcon reaching speeds of up to 130km/h.
A post mortem examination of the victim concluded the girl's death was caused by chest and head injuries.
Ms Ellson said the matter involved a death that was "proximate in time to a police pursuit".
"Questions arise as to whether (the girl's) death was caused by, or contributed to, any action of a member of the police force," she said.
"South Hedland Police Station was not equipped with facilities which enabled radio transmissions to be recorded … (and) neither of the two cars involved were fitted with an automatic vehicle location device."
The police officer who authorised the pursuit, Detective Sergeant Craig Gibson, the officers in both police pursuit vehicles and several civilian witnesses were called before the inquiry.
The coroner is expected to give recommendations in the coming months.
