A TAXI driver yelled ‘‘don’t jump, don’t jump’’ at four teenagers travelling in his vehicle just before one was fatally injured but did not brake, an inquest has heard. The coronial inquest into the death of Jayden Craig Field, 19, continued into its fifth day in Hobart yesterday. Mr Field suffered severe head injuries when he was the last of four friends to exit the moving taxi at Kingston in November 2013. The driver – Lopez Kimbinga – said he was travelling between 40km/h and 50km/h when the teenagers exited the vehicle, but only saw the third and fourth passengers get out. ‘‘I said, ‘don’t jump, don’t jump, let me stop the vehicle’,’’ Mr Kimbinga said. Mr Kimbinga said he then made a U-turn and saw Mr Field lying in the gutter. The inquest heard earlier that Mr Field exited the taxi 10-17 seconds after his friends, who deny they were attempting to evade the fare. Counsel assisting the coroner Genevieve Hickman asked Mr Kimbinga why he didn’t brake. ‘‘Why didn’t you slow down after the third one jumped out?’’ Ms Hickman said. ‘‘Did you accelerate to keep Jayden in the car so that you could get the fare?’’ she said. ‘‘No, I didn’t accelerate or take off to keep someone in the car,’’ Mr Kimbinga replied. Evidence from the vehicle’s GPS system showed it slowed down to 6km/h and then sped up to more than 40km/h, which crash investigators say was consistent with the injuries sustained by the other three passengers. Ms Hickman told coroner Olivia McTaggart the science was against the driver’s evidence. ‘‘I am a Christian and I know how precious life is,’’ Mr Kimbinga said. The inquest continues tomorrow when the last of Mr Field’s friends – Jack Beadell – will give evidence.
A TAXI driver yelled ‘‘don’t jump, don’t jump’’ at four teenagers travelling in his vehicle just before one was fatally injured but did not brake, an inquest has heard.
The coronial inquest into the death of Jayden Craig Field, 19, continued into its fifth day in Hobart yesterday.
Mr Field suffered severe head injuries when he was the last of four friends to exit the moving taxi at Kingston in November 2013.
The driver – Lopez Kimbinga – said he was travelling between 40km/h and 50km/h when the teenagers exited the vehicle, but only saw the third and fourth passengers get out.
‘‘I said, ‘don’t jump, don’t jump, let me stop the vehicle’,’’ Mr Kimbinga said.
Mr Kimbinga said he then made a U-turn and saw Mr Field lying in the gutter.
The inquest heard earlier that Mr Field exited the taxi 10-17 seconds after his friends, who deny they were attempting to evade the fare.
Counsel assisting the coroner Genevieve Hickman asked Mr Kimbinga why he didn’t brake.
‘‘Why didn’t you slow down after the third one jumped out?’’ Ms Hickman said.
‘‘Did you accelerate to keep Jayden in the car so that you could get the fare?’’ she said.
‘‘No, I didn’t accelerate or take off to keep someone in the car,’’ Mr Kimbinga replied.
Evidence from the vehicle’s GPS system showed it slowed down to 6km/h and then sped up to more than 40km/h, which crash investigators say was consistent with the injuries sustained by the other three passengers.
Ms Hickman told coroner Olivia McTaggart the science was against the driver’s evidence.
‘‘I am a Christian and I know how precious life is,’’ Mr Kimbinga said.
The inquest continues tomorrow when the last of Mr Field’s friends – Jack Beadell – will give evidence.
