A female driver who killed two motorists at the same intersection seven years apart has been criticised as incompetent by a coroner. Mother of two Michelle Thiele caused the two fatal crashes by failing to look to her left when entering the intersection, South Australia's deputy coroner has found.
Thiele told deputy coroner Anthony Schapel she believed she was a competent driver despite causing the fatal crashes at a T-junction at Pompoota near Mannum, about 80km east of Adelaide. "Both men died in collisions at the same location in almost identical circumstances and at the hands of the same motorist," Mr Schapel said in his coronial findings. "They both died when that same motorist failed to give way to each of them at the same intersection."
In April 2000, Thiele caused a collision that killed 69-year-old car driver John Mitchell. In June 2007, at the same intersection, Thiele's ute struck and killed 51-year-old motorcyclist Graham Bryant.
Having regard to Mrs Thiele's driving behaviour in both of these incidents ... I am driven to conclude that Mrs Thiele is a motorist of quite limited aptitude, competence and temperament," Mr Schapel said. "She now has a driving record that by any standard is manifestly unacceptable."
Thiele was fined $426 for failing to give way after the initial fatal accident. After the second collision, she was found guilty of driving without due care and sentenced to eight months in jail, suspended after a one-month non-parole period.
Her driver's licence was disqualified for 18 months. On appeal to the Supreme Court, Thiele's jail sentence was wholly suspended. "To my knowledge there is no legal impediment to Mrs Thiele continuing to drive a motor vehicle once the period of disqualification has concluded," Mr Schapel said.
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