Boy left to die ‘like road kill’ after being struck by driver who was looking at phone
The family of Bryson Dimovski, a 14-year-old boy killed in a hit-and-run while riding his e-scooter home in Warners Bay, New South Wales, in July 2023, is renewing calls for tougher sentences and a change to drug and alcohol testing laws. Bryson was struck by Jaycob Gemza, then 21, who was looking at his phone while driving; Gemza briefly stopped but then drove off without calling emergency services, leaving Bryson's body undiscovered for six hours despite his family searching the area that night. The case has drawn attention to gaps in road safety and hit-and-run laws, with Bryson's parents pushing for reform they hope will prevent similar tragedies.
Gemza pleaded guilty to failing to stop and assist, and to negligent and dangerous driving, and was jailed for five years, with parole eligibility after three years and three months, meaning he could be released as early as February 2029. The court heard he had drunk three beers and bought a fourth before driving, but by the time he handed himself in to police it was too late for alcohol or drug testing, prompting the family's campaign to extend the four-hour testing window. A 20,000-signature petition for "Bryson's Law" was recently rejected by NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley, but the Dimovskis say they will continue campaigning for accountability and deterrence.
- Teen killed by hit-and-run driver distracted by his phone in 2023
- Driver jailed five years, parole possible from February 2029
- Family campaigns for tougher laws after "Bryson's Law" petition rejected