By Oliver Winn
The death of a Millgrove man has sparked calls to empower medical practitioners to revoke licenses from patients they deem unfit to drive.
A coroner’s report investigating the death of a 73-year-old reveals he didn’t disclose his medical conditions to VicRoads or ask to have his license revoked in his most recent admission to the Maroondah Hospital.
Coroner Audrey Jamieson first called upon the Secretary of the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, and VicRoads in 2016 after a similar death had occurred.
But her and other coroner’s recommendations have been rejected by VicRoads, which is now managed by the Department of Transport and Planning.
When the Millgrove man was driving on Warburton Highway on 21 September 2023, he had a medical episode which caused him to veer into oncoming traffic, and died nine days later in hospital on 21 September 2023.
His son said he and his sister believed their father’s license should’ve been revoked during his most recent admission to hospital.
“I and my sister believe that he should have had his licence revoked by [Maroondah] hospital as he was only in hospital for a month prior for severe heart failure, we believe the hospital system didn’t act in accordance with protocol and provide the duty of care he needed and deserved,” the son said.
After delivering findings into yet another similar death in 2018, Ms Jamieson said “this death and the danger caused to the wider community by impaired drivers continuing to operate motor vehicles, serve as a compelling indication that VicRoads’ existing policy measure and intransigence on this issue are inadequate.”
According to the coroner’s report, elderly road users are commonly concerned with the loss of independence that coincides with deteriorating health.
Not wanting to lose his license, and by extension his independence, the driver reportedly told his brother to “stay quiet” about him still having his license around the nurse during a Hospital in the Home session.
The Millgrove man had sleep apnoea, heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), among other conditions.
Though the cause of his crash isn’t verified, his son said his father spoke to him when he visited hospital the evening of the collision.
“Dad said to me that he didn’t have a heart attack but had fallen asleep at the wheel and woke up just before the impact,” the son said.
