Cindy Littlejohn has fought for change since losing her son, Jake Dunn, in a crash

A Queensland mum, who lost her young son in a horror crash six years ago, believes a teen driver, who recently made headlines for causing the crash that claimed her friend’s life, should not have been charged. 

Cindy Littlejohn is holding an event to raise funds for a driver education centre in Hervey Bay after her son Jake was killed in a car crash at Maleny.

As high school graduates get ready to head off on end-of-year celebrations, fresh in the mind of many Fraser Coast parents is last week’s tragic court case where a teenage driver was sentenced for causing a crash that claimed her friend.

One mother who knows all too well the pain of losing a child in a road crash is Maryborough’s Cindy Littlejohn, whose fears for her son became a heartbreaking reality when he was killed while driving to a new job in 2015.

Now, having just marked the sixth anniversary of his death and amid ongoing community grief over the loss of local teen who died after her friend lost control of their car the day after her high school formal, Ms Littlejohn says it’s time decision makers realise it’s simply too easy in Queensland for young people to get their licence and drive alone.

She became an advocate for safe driving for young people following the loss of her son Jake Dunn, 22, who died after the wheel of his car struck wet debris, causing the car to aquaplane and plough into a tree a Maleny.

Cindy Littlejohn is holding an event to raise funds for a driver education centre in Hervey Bay after her son Jake was killed in a car crash at Maleny.

The crash happened only five months after Jake had gained his provisional driver’s licence and when his mum started to research similar incidents, she was shocked to find more than 40% of those who died on Australian roads were aged under 25.

She has campaigned relentlessly for driving education to be offered at schools and for the age for driving independently to be raised.

Her heart broke for two families when a teen, who caused the crash that claimed the life of Riverside Christian College graduate Sharlene Urosevic, 18, was sentenced in court last week.

Burrum River's Sharlene Urosevic was critically injured in a crash at Iveragh.

Lucia Christina Ivy Fisher, 19, lost her license for 12 months and was ordered to pay a fine of $1200 after she pleaded guilty to careless driving causing death.

Hervey Bay Magistrates Court was told Ms Fisher only had her provisional licence for less than a year and she was driving a car that was unfamiliar to her when the crash happened.

She lost control of the vehicle while trying to overtake another car at Iveragh, near Gladstone, and Sharlene later died of her injuries.

Ms Littlejohn said while the crash was no doubt tragic, she questioned what was gained by charging the teen.

Lucia Christina Ivy Fisher, 19, pleaded guilty to one count of careless operation of a vehicle causing death when she faced Hervey Bay Magistrates Court.

“Why is she being punished for being inexperienced?” she said.

Ms Littlejohn felt it was not only important to teach kids the skills to drive, but to stay live while on the road.

“It just seems to sit in the too hard basket and it’s depressing to hear about all these young lives that are taken,” she said.

“Giving them driving me sense doesn’t give them common sense.

“They’re getting their licences way too young and common sense hasn’t kicked in yet.”

Ms Littlejohn said the fear was never ending for parents with children behind the wheel.