Coroner's inquest hears testimony from Sudbury geriatrician

A special coroner's inquest into the 2015 death of an Elliot Lake man continued in Sudbury on Tuesday with testimony from a geriatrician.

Walter Blight, 72, died in a collision on Highway 69. There are questions about whether he should have been behind the wheel due to medical issues.

Previous testimony has shown that Blight was diagnosed with a severe respiratory illness, was living with bipolar disorder and had other health issues.

He had also been stopped numerous times by police in the days leading up to his death because officers thought he was an impaired driver.

Dr. Jo-Anne Clarke, a Sudbury geriatrician, discussed in her testimony the process that unfolds when a licence is taken away from an older adult for medical reasons.

Loss of license can be devastating

She said that discussing a patient's driving fitness is the hardest part of her job.

"Losing the ability to drive can be a devastating event in an older adult [and] in anyone's life," Clarke told CBC News.

"We know that when people lose the ability to drive, the likelihood of being depressed goes up, social isolation goes up. There's a higher rate of mortality, a higher rate of caregiver burden."

Clarke testified that physicians assess a patient's physical and mental capabilities, and determine if a licence suspension is needed.

She said that information and the request are then forwarded to the Ministry of Transportation, which makes the final decision.

On-road test best way to assess driving

Clarke told CBC News the forms doctors submit to the MTO are fairly simplistic and when it comes to cognitive conditions, it can be difficult to determine if a person's ability to drive will be impacted.

"And unfortunately the doctor's office is not the place to assess ability to drive," she said. "Really, it's the on-road driving test."

Clarke said it can take four to six weeks to hear back from the MTO after a form is submitted. She added that she typically advises people not to drive until they get a response from the ministry.

Clarke testified that she would like to see a "driving holiday" instead of a permanent suspension, so some people might be able to get their licence reinstated if their medical condition improves.

She also reinforced that assessing one's ability to drive shouldn't be based on age alone, but on medical conditions that might put a driver at risk.

Recommendations to prevent similar deaths are expected to come out of the inquiry as early the end of the week.