No one else is to blame for the death of a drunk Australian soldier who made the fatal decision to try and run into Christchurch along a main road, a New Zealand coroner says.
Lance Corporal Duncan Orr was hit by a truck and killed on State Highway 1 near Burnham Military Camp in March last year.
The 31-year-old, from Morwell in Victoria, spent nearly two weeks at the camp, had completed his program and was due to travel around the South Island with his wife Anna.
In his findings, released on Thursday, coroner Richard McElrea says the Defence Force had changed some of its drinking policies in response to the death and he wouldn't make any formal recommendations.
The findings show Lance Cpl Orr couldn't use his Australian credit card on the bar, so others were shouting him drinks.
Normally a social drinker, he was drinking beer and rum and cokes for about five hours, including "ceremonial" drinking games.
Witnesses said he was "pretty drunk", "seemed to be losing it" and unusually belligerent.
During his time at the camp he had been running on SH1 and when he spoke of going into town one soldier knew he would try it again.
After midnight others went to drink in the barracks, but Lance Corp Orr decided to run towards Christchurch.
Dressed in dark clothing he was struck from behind by a truck after about 2km.
The truck was doing 93km/h and a video camera in the cab showed there was no way for the driver to see him.
Lance Cpl Orr's blood alcohol level was 238mg per 100ml of blood. New Zealand's drink drive limit is 50mg.
Mr McElrea said his inquiry highlighted some aspects of the Defence Force's alcohol policy, but Lance Cpl Orr had decided to leave the camp and go into town via a main road.
"No other person should feel responsible for the outcome."
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