Inquest reveals police lacked power to revoke license

An inquest has begun into the death of an 86-year-old man who crashed while driving on the wrong side of a highway in South Australia. Edward John Raines died on April 12, 2019, after his car collided with a semi-trailer on the Karoonda Highway. The crash caused severe damage to his car, and he was later found deceased in the driver's seat. The truck driver was not injured in the accident. Investigations showed that neither driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and both vehicles were in good working condition. It was suggested that Mr. Raines might have been experiencing health issues at the time, but the inquest heard that his dangerous driving behavior was noticed weeks earlier. Three weeks before the crash, a police officer had observed Mr. Raines driving dangerously after leaving a service station. Although the officer believed Mr. Raines should not have been driving, he had no authority to stop him immediately. The officer submitted a request to evaluate Mr. Raines's fitness to drive, but the process takes time, leaving potentially unsafe drivers on the road. Counsel assisting the coroner, Martin Kirby, stated that the system allows dangerous drivers to continue driving while waiting for assessments. Mr. Raines had also received letters instructing him to undergo medical checks but had not responded. The first letter was found in his car after the crash. Sergeant Mark Wright expressed concern that Mr. Raines was "incapable of driving on the road" and would have acted to stop him if he had the power to do so. The inquest is ongoing as the court examines the circumstances around Mr. Raines's driving and potential changes to current processes.