Four years after James Sidney Murphy, 76, was killed in a hit and run outside a Central Queensland pub, the driver responsible is yet to be identified.
Mr Murphy's death will be re-examined next month in a three-day inquest that hopes to determine who was behind the wheel of the purple Ford Falcon that struck him.
Mr Murphy had been walking across the road in Rockhampton when he was hit outside the Brunswick Hotel about 8.30pm on Saturday August 17, 2019.
He suffered severe internal injuries and died in hospital the following day.
In July 2021, a 37-year-old Etna Creek man Tony Rice was charged with one count of dangerous driving causing death, but the charges were dropped last month with prosecution noting there was no reasonable prospect of conviction.
During a pre-inquest trial in Mackay on Monday under Coroner David O'Connell, counsel assisting John Aberdeen told the court the primary issues that needed to be examined included identifying the vehicle, driver, potential passengers and what caused the collision.
Mr Aberdeen said the investigation had involved a number of people, a dozen of whom were expected to be called to give evidence.
Ear-witness
Mr Aberdeen explained to the court that the owner of the purple Ford Falcon had lent the vehicle to a friend, who had then lent it again against the owner's permission to a man named Tony Rice.
Mr Aberdeen told the court CCTV footage had shown Rockhampton resident Mr Rice filling up the vehicle with petrol earlier that Saturday.
But Mr Rice had told police he was in Yeppoon at the time of the crash, and had passed the vehicle onto someone whose "name he didn't know" and denied involvement.
Mr Aberdeen said Mr Rice's former alibi Jason Beattie had contacted police several months after the incident, alleging that he had been on the phone to Mr Rice and had heard the crash.
"Mr Beattie was not an eye witness, but a quite literal ear-witness to the actual happening of the collision," Mr Aberdeen submitted.
He alleged there were phone records to confirm the time of this exchange and the inquest would be hearing from an Optus staffer who was expected to explain the evidence.
Mr Aberdeen said the inquest would also hear from Mr Rice's former girlfriend, as well as people who may have been passengers at the time.
Purple sedan
The court heard that the day after Mr Murphy was hit, a woman living in Point Curtis, a suburn of Rockhampton, found the purple sedan covered with a blue tarp outside her home.
Forensic examination of the car linked it to Mr Murphy's death, evidence Mr Aberdeen said was "fairly clear and fairly strong".
"Samples were taken from the car and there were traces of material that were identified as coming from Mr Murphy on the passenger side," Mr Aberdeen said.
"The passenger-side wing mirror had been broken off in the collision … and the vehicle under the tarp also had its side wing missing."
Mr Aberdeen said police had also found the car's battery had been removed and an oily spray was covering the vehicle inside and out.
Mr Murphy's niece Kahley Bryson listened via phone to the pre-inquest.
Mr Aberdeen said investigations into the matter would continue until the full inquest began in Yeppoon on March 20.
