The family of a young father who was killed when an ice-affected teenager drove the car they were in off a cliff, believe that VicRoads are at fault, the Coroners Court was told on Tuesday.
The driver and three passengers, including Chris Reddin, 22, were killed when the 2001 silver Holden Commodore ploughed through a wire barrier on the Northern Highway in Pyalong, north of Melbourne, on January 28 last year.
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Four killed in car smash with tree
Car severed in two killing all inside as it ploughed into a tree beside the Northern Highway at Pyalong, north of Melbourne.
The car was travelling north at 100km/h when the driver lost control, swerving across the highway and colliding with a wire barrier on the side of the road.
After leaving the highway the car skidded through vegetation and ploughed into a tree, where it was crushed into an L-shape.
Mr Reddin's family believe that the wire barrier was ineffective, causing the car to become airborne on impact.
When searching the car at the accident scene, police discovered knives, a crack pipe and a homemade canister that was later found to contain a bag of crystal methamphetamine.
Police said the toxicology report showed the driver, Josh Taylor, 19, had a high level of methamphetamine in his system.
At the inquest, the Reddins' lawyer questioned whether VicRoads installed the barrier according to safety guidelines and if the barrier played a role in the crash.
The wire barriers installed by VicRoads are designed to protect vehicles from leaving the road and descending into rough terrain.
However, they are at their most effective when hit by oncoming traffic travelling in the direction of the lane.
The vehicle that held Mr Reddin and the three other men was travelling in the wrong direction at the time of the accident.
Police officers believe this may have reduced the effectiveness of the barrier to keep the vehicle on the highway.
The lawyer for the Reddin family cited the overhaul of wire road barriers in Germany and Norway as a sign of their ineffectiveness.
Coroner Patrick White adjourned the case until September, wanting to give VicRoads, who were not present at the summary inquest, time to address the claim that the barrier was faulty and failed to prevent the car leaving the road.
Killed with Mr Reddin and Mr Taylor were passengers Nick Mongta, 22, and Corey Bray, 28.
The coronial inquest revealed the passengers were also found with methamphetamine in their systems.
Speed was not considered to be a factor in the crash, with police investigations unable to find any sign of braking marks on the road.