Whitehorse Daily Star

Rollover victim had not worn a seat belt

Chief coroner Kirsten Macdonald had no recommendations coming out of the report on Renate Leker-McKenna's death on Aug. 30, 2012.

By Whitehorse Star on June 5, 2013

Chief coroner Kirsten Macdonald had no recommendations coming out of the report on Renate Leker-McKenna's death on Aug. 30, 2012.

The report was one of three released Monday.

The 72-year-old died after a single-vehicle rollover on the Robert Campbell Highway. She had been driving with a friend to Carmacks, when she had lost control at about kilometre 563 and gone through a steel barricade.

While the passenger was rendered unconscious, the body of Leker-McKenna was found about six metres from the front of the vehicle. She had not been wearing a seat belt and had been thrown from the vehicle.

"A seat belt would have prevented Mrs. Leker-McKenna from being ejected from the vehicle and secured her in the life space of the vehicle,” reads the report. "The failure to use a seat belt was a contributing factor in this death.”

Her demise was classified as accidental from multiple blunt force injuries due to ejection from vehicle, with no seat belt having been worn.

In an interview Monday, Macdonald said the three reports were released at the same time simply due to the timing of them being complete.

Families are given the opportunity to consider her findings and provide any input throughout the process before the reports are made public, she said.

She noted that it's up to individual organizations to decide whether to enact the recommendations set out.

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