"Coroner delivers findings in sleep apneoa case"

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A Melbourne coroner has delivered her findings in the case of a young boy who was run over by a driver with a tendency to fall asleep at the wheel.
Six year-old James Darien Radoslovich was killed when a car driven by a pensioner ran onto a footpath in May 2002.
James had been walking with his mother, who was severely injured.

The driver of the car, Joseph Patrick Moore, 74, had apparently fallen asleep at the wheel. Mr Moore had recently been tested for sleep apnoea and in a questionnaire had said he often dozed off while driving. His doctors did not look at the questionnaire.
Coroner Heather Spooner found that the doctors had not acted unreasonably, but noted that the questionnaire had fallen through cracks in the system, and recommended procedures for doctors to better share patient information.
The coroner also recommended that doctors highlight the grave dangers of driving with sleep apnoea.

© 2004 Australian Broadcasting Corporation