A SPEEDING driver was purposely travelling on the wrong
side of the road when he hit and killed a motorcyclist, a
coroner said yesterday.
An inquest on the death of Gerard Vincent Gauci, 28, found Leon Cirelli was driving his Nissan four-wheel-drive about 20km/h over the recommended speed around a hairpin bend on The Boulevard in Kew before skidding and hitting Mr Gauci who was almost at a standstill on his bike.
Coroner Peter White said marijuana had been found in Mr Gauci's system, but the drug in no way contributed to the accident.
Mr White found Mr Cirelli -- who refused to give evidence at the inquest on the ground that it could incriminate him -- had had "ample opportunity" to realise he was travelling on the wrong side of the road.
Mr White said Mr Cirelli understood that his driving was a "serious threat" to other road users.
Mr Cirelli was charged with culpable driving causing death, but the charge was dropped after a magistrate ruled there was insufficient evidence. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of careless driving, and was convicted and fined $500.
After the finding was delivered, Mr Gauci's grieving mother said Mr Cirelli should be stripped of his licence for life and put behind bars.
"Not only did he kill my son, he killed my whole family," Mrs Gauci told the Herald Sun.
"I have suffered heart attacks from the stress and my husband has had a severe stroke and will never come home. Cirelli just got a $500 fine. He should be in jail."
Mrs Gauci welcomed the coroner's finding and said her son had finally received justice.
"I knew that my son, Gerard, was always a responsible driver and rider. I feel that my son's dignity has finally been restored," she said.
The inquest heard road signs were changed after the accident and warnings painted on the road.
In his finding, Mr White recommended that sets of rumble strips should also be installed on the road near the hairpin and other similar bends on The Boulevard to slow down drivers. He said suggested speed signs should be replaced with mandatory speed limit signs.
