Chris Tuck posted on September 07, 2011 10:48
A Tasmanian Coroner has found a crane driver was going too fast for his level of experience when he died in a crash near Hobart.
Shane Allan Ransley died from head injuries when the crane he was driving crashed on the East Derwent Highway at Risdon Vale in January.
The 42-year-old was thrown from the 20-tonne crane and was crushed by it when he lost control on a hill.
The crane flipped over at least three times.
Coroner Christopher Webster found Mr Ransley was a qualified crane driver but had no experience driving cranes of that size on the open road.
He said Mr Ransley was driving too fast for his level of experience and was over the speed limit for normal traffic.
Mr Webster found Mr Ransley may have been impaired by the presence of cannabis in his system.
He also said it was likely Mr Ransley would have survived had he been wearing a seatbelt.
The cabin of the crane was designed to protect the driver from being crushed but Mr Ransley had left the window open and he was thrown from the crane as it flipped and rolled.