Arabic version: تحقيق يكشف فرصاً ضائعة قبل حادث أديلايد المميت
According to ABC News, a coroner found missed opportunities to stop Tristan Mourant from driving before a 2022 crash in Adelaide’s north that killed Sohaila Mohammadi, 47. The coroner concluded that Mourant would not have driven on the day of the collision if his licence had been suspended, and that Mrs Mohammadi’s death would have been prevented.
Mrs Mohammadi, of Blair Athol, suffered a fatal head injury when Mourant struck the left-rear passenger side of a van driven by her husband, Noor Ahmad, on Main North Road at Elizabeth on January 21, 2022. The van fishtailed, hit a light pole and a tree, then burst into flames.
The inquest heard Mourant had bilateral retinal dystrophy, a degenerative condition affecting the retina, and had been told by three medical professionals that he was unfit to drive. None notified the Register of Motor Vehicles, despite legislation requiring health professionals to inform the registrar when a person’s condition means they would be likely to endanger the public by driving.
The coroner found Mourant knew he had medical advice not to drive, had Centrelink paperwork declaring a disability, and nevertheless applied for a driver’s licence in May 2021 while declaring no medical impediment. Mourant pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious harm by dangerous driving. In October 2024, he was jailed for just over seven years, with a non-parole period of six years, eight months and 13 days, and disqualified from holding a licence for 20 years.
The findings also said Mrs Mohammadi could not have been saved after the crash because flames engulfed the van too quickly for her to be removed. Mr Ahmad, who was injured, had been driving in a perfectly reasonable and normal manner, the coroner found. Recommendations included communications from medical colleges and SA Health to stress the mandatory duty to notify the registrar, plus guidance from the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport for other health professionals.
