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Road victim 'on ecstasy'
By CHARLES WATERHOUSE
21 Feb 2006
A NEW Norfolk man run over by a car in the town had been drinking bourbon and taken ecstasy, an inquest in Hobart heard yesterday.
The inquest heard the ecstasy could have given the man who died Jonathan Hackett, 25, a feeling of invincibility.
He died from chest and head injuries after being run over on Hobart Rd by a car driven by Peter Webb about 4.45am on Sunday, September 26, 2004.
Mr Webb told the court he suddenly noticed a dark object on the road one to 1.5 metres away and it was too late to take any action.
Evidence was heard Mr Hackett had been laying across the eastbound lane, near an entrance to Tynwald.
Kathryn Campbell, of Forensic Science Services Tasmania, told Coroner Steve Carey Mr Hackett had a blood alcohol reading of 0.208 and an MDMA reading of 0.2mg per litre of blood.
She said the ecstasy reading indicated the drug had been taken in the previous five hours.
Results of taking ecstasy included a feeling of increased confidence, alertness, a euphoria and, she agreed with Mark Miller, for the Police Department, a feeling of invincibility.
Truck driver Nicholas Bennetto said he had seen something on the road in front of him when driving a log truck about 20 to 25km/h on Hobart Rd about 4am.
He said he stopped the truck 8 to 10 metres away.
Mr Bennetto said the man had his face down, his knees raised to his chest, and his arms clasped behind his neck.
He said he was apprehensive about approaching him, fearing some sort of mugging but the man extended his left arm to brush him away.
"You can't forcibly remove people, that's why I rang police," Mr Bennetto said.
"In hindsight I wish I had dragged him off the road, he might be still alive."
Mr Bennetto said he reversed his truck, drove round the man and, while driving out of New Norfolk, telephoned 000 and spoke to the police radio room to report the incident.
He was surprised not to see police on the road, responding to his report, as he travelled toward Hobart.
The following day Mr Bennetto said he had heard a news report about the man being hit by a vehicle and made another 000 call to the police radio room because he was concerned someone might have thought he was responsible and also to report the details of a utility which had been travelling behind his truck on the night.
The inquest heard the same person in the police radio room took both 000 calls from Mr Bennetto and failed to register them.
Frank Ogle, the director of corporate services in Tasmania police, said disciplinary action had been taken against the man.
The action taken against him included counselling and being moved from radio despatch -- costing him income of about $10,000 a year.
The inquest continues today.
From The Mercury