Government rejects tougher hit-and-run penalties despite 20,000+ petition
A petition signed by more than 20,000 people calls for stricter penalties for fleeing fatal crash scenes.
Bryson Dimovski, 14, died in July 2023 after being hit by a car on Macquarie Road, Warners Bay. Driver Jaycob Gemza admitted drinking before the crash and left the scene.
He was sentenced to five years with a non-parole period of three years and three months. A petition for stricter hit-and-run penalties gathered more than 20,000 signatures.
The government's response defends the current penalty system, and the father says it was dismissed before debate began.
- More than 20,000
- Petition signatures
- 5 years total, 3 years 3 months non-parole
- Driver's sentence
- 10 years imprisonment
- Current max penalty
Why it mattersHit-and-run penalties set how serious the law treats these crimes and how many people face real consequences for fleeing crash scenes.
AustraliaNSW parliament will debate whether to tighten penalties for drivers who flee fatal crashes, affecting sentencing across the state.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 3 d ago
