BY JOHN HEWITT
A Newcastle father who lost his 14-year-old son to a hit and run incident is calling for greater penalties for drivers who leave the scene of an accident.
In 2023, Bryson Dimovski was riding an e-scooter in Warner's Bay when he was hit by a vehicle which failed to stop and provide assistance, leaving him to die in a ditch alongside the roadway.
His father Andrew Dimovski has launched an e-petition calling for harsher penalties for failing to stop after an incident, and for closing loopholes which allow offenders to avoid alcohol and drug testing.
The driver, 21-year-old Jaycob Gemza, was driving a ute when he struck Bryson after drifting about a metre into the fog lane.
Gemza pleaded guilty to dangerous driving occasioning death and failing to stop and assist after vehicle impact causing death.
He was recently sentenced to a maximum five years in jail, with a minimum of three years and three months.
Before handing down the sentence the judge noted Gemza was reading and typing on his phone before the crash, and that he later concealed his car in a back street because of concerns he was over the alcohol limit.
Mr Dimovski said the e-petition is not just about the case of his son's death, but aims to prevent future tragedies and ensure no family has to endure what his family has experienced.
"We need meaningful legal reform which can deliver appropriate penalties for drivers who leave the scene of a hit-and-run, and we need stronger enforcement of alcohol and drug testing for those drivers," he said.
Mr Dimovski said the e-petition has attracted significant support from the wider community.
"We're trying to reach as many ;people as possible," he said.
"We need 20,000 signatures to have this issue debated in state parliament and so far we have more than 14,000 signatures."
The e-petition is titled In Honour of Bryson Dimovski and can be found on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok.
