A woman in South Australia has achieved a certain infamy among drivers: she has succeeded in killing two people seven years apart in the same intersection in the same way. Michelle Thiele’s driving skills (or the lack thereof) are the subject of a rather understated response by the coroner.
In both cases, Thiele failed to look to her left when entering the intersection — resulting in the fatal crashes where she survived and the other drivers died.
Deputy coroner Anthony Schapel observed that “[b]oth men died in collisions at the same location in almost identical circumstances and at the hands of the same motorist. . . .They both died when that same motorist failed to give way to each of them at the same intersection.”
The first accident was in April 2000 when John Mitchell, 69, was killed. Then in June 2007, Thiele was involved in an accident that killed Graham Bryant, 51.
Here is the response of the coroner that drew my attention: “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.” Well, I suppose that says it all.
I think that Rod Serling is alive and well in Australia.
See for yourself:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzlG28B-R8Y&hl=en&fs=1&]
This comes close to proving either deja vu all over again or parallel universes exist in Aussie land.
From linked article: “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”
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And I thought that the US let people that killed other people with cars off easily. Once is an accident, twice, exactly the same way and place is a disability that should preclude you from ever driving again.