The family of 14-year-old Bryson Dimovski who was killed in an alleged hit and run at Warners Bay last year have lent their support to a petition calling for tougher penalties for serious road crimes.
The online petition was launched by Angelina Kauffman, whose children Alina Kauffman, 24, and Ernesto Salazar, 15, died in a crash in Heckenberg last year.
The petition has attracted 18,800 signatures, just short of the 20,000 needed for it to be tabled in the NSW Legislative Assembly.
Popular Warners Bay High School student Bryson Dimovski was riding his electric scooter on Macquarie Road 800 metres north of the Medcalf Street intersection at 5.30 pm on Friday July 28 last year.
Police allege a car driven by 21-year-old Jaycob Issac Gemza struck Bryson and failed to stop.
Bryson's body was found in a grass verge several hours later.
Mr Gemza was arrested at a home in Maryland later that evening. He has been charged with dangerous driving occasioning death-drive manner dangerous, negligent driving (occasioning death), and fail to stop and assist after vehicle impact causing death.
He has not entered pleas to the charges.
Andew Dimovski said his family was supporting the petition to benefit the wider community of NSW.
"This is for everyone, it's not about a specific scenario," Mr Dimovski told the Newcastle Herald.
"We just want to change the laws in NSW so they are more in line with other states and countries."
The petition, which is also supported by the Road Trauma Support Group NSW, calls for current maximum sentence for aggravated dangerous driving occasioning death to be increased.
Premier Chris Minns said late last year that "everything is on the table" to bring justice to victims' loved ones.
"We are investigating changes to the law, particularly for vehicular manslaughter," he said.
Mr Dimovski urged the premier to back up his words with actions as soon as possible.
