Lynn Lau
Northern News Services

Tuktoyaktuk (Mar 25/02) - It could be more than a year before the coroner will be able to decide if an inquest will be held into the Feb. 4 death of a Tuktoyaktuk man.

NWT chief coroner Percy told hamlet council last week that he has to wait until two other investigations are complete before he can file his report.

Last month, council asked Kinney to hold an inquest after the police decided not to lay charges in the death of Carl Smith, a 38-year-old employee of Gruben's Transport.

Smith was struck and killed by a semi-trailer on a private ice road about 100 kilometres northeast of town. He was working on a snow tractor that had broken down by the side of the road. His co-worker, 35-year-old Troy Cahoon, was thrown clear of the truck and escaped serious injury.

Kinney and representatives from the Workers' Compensation Board and the National Energy Board were in Tuktoyaktuk to speak about the accident investigation process and the reasons an inquest would be called.

"A request for an inquest is premature at this time," Kinney told council. "Once we determine all the information, then we can consider your request."

Kinney said he has to wait for the Workers' Compensation Board and the National Energy Board to concluded their investigations.

Both agencies have up to a year to lay charges in a workplace death.

Inquests are mandatory when a person dies while in custody, but discretionary in all other cases, Kinney said.

During the council meeting, Kinney fielded questions about why the local coroner did not attend the scene of the accident.

"Sometimes we're notified right away and sometimes it takes some time," Kinney said. He said the regional coroner was notified by the RCMP the night of the accident but she decided not to attend. The chief coroner's office wasn't notified until the next morning.

He said by that time, the accident scene had already been altered and the body removed, so there would have been little point for a coroner to attend.

Ideally, the scene of the accident would have been left untouched until a coroner had time to investigate, but that was not the situation in this case, Kinney said.

Gordon Becket, chief industrial safety officer with the WCB, said it takes time to investigate incidents thoroughly.