A man who crashed his motorcycle on his Deloraine farm property had a medical episode immediately prior to the incident, a coroner has found.
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Christopher Mark Best died on December 21, 2017 as a result of traumatic pulmonary artery rupture following a motorcycle crash. He was 58-years-old at the time of his death, leaving behind a wife and three adult children.
Mr Best, whose son has said worked 12 hours a day, ran an Angus beef stud on a property at Deloraine, comprising roughly 500 acres. He also lived on the property.
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Because he died of unnatural causes at his workplace, Mr Best's death would normally have been the subject of a coronial inquest.
But Coroner Olivia McTaggart said Mrs Best "does not seek that an inquest takes place".
"I am satisfied ... that it is not contrary to the public interest not to hold an inquest," Ms McTaggart said in the record of investigation into Mr Best's death.
Medical records from the Deloraine Medical Centre showed the late Mr Best had received regular treatment for a number of long-term conditions including heart palpitations, light-headedness and fainting, profound insomnia, back injuries and arthritis.
On the day of his death, Mr Best woke up at 6.30am to spend time with one of his grandchildren before leaving the house at about 8.30am on his 2007 Honda CRF150 motorcycle to move cattle on the farm. He never returned to the house.
After being out and about, Mrs Best came home at 3.00pm and was concerned to see that the motorcycle was not at the house.
Mr and Mrs Best's son then went to look for his father and found him lying dead near a gate on the farm at 3.50pm. The motorcycle and the gate had both been damaged.
Crash investigator First Class Constable Nigel Housego examined the scene finding that Mr Best's motorcycle had no brakes and a sticking throttle and was therefore not roadworthy or safe.
Mr Best wasn't wearing a helmet or gloves but First Class Constable Housego said the fatal internal chest injuries he suffered as a result of the crash could not have been prevented by a helmet.
The motorcycle was only going at 30 kilometres per hour when the crash occurred. Mr Best was neither using his phone at the time nor did he have alcohol or illicit drugs in his system.
Ms McTaggart said she accepted the crash investigator's conclusions.
"Had Mr Best been distracted or suffering some form of medical event, the lack of brakes and sticking throttle would have caused the motorcycle to continue, without deceleration, into the gate," she said.
Had Mr Best been distracted or suffering some form of medical event, the lack of brakes and sticking throttle would have caused the motorcycle to continue, without deceleration, into the gate.
- Olivia McTaggart, coroner
"The most likely reason for the crash is that Mr Best suffered a neurocardiogenic syncope, (a temporary loss of consciousness due to a heart condition), while riding toward the gate, preventing him from taking the required action to stop the motorcycle."
Ms McTaggart said she conveyed "my sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr Best".