Tintenbar man Jak Fitzsimmons, 28, fronts Lismore court over Ballina hit and run

A northern NSW man has faced court after he slammed his 4WD – kitted out with a bulbar – into a cyclist before he fled the scene. She has now been left with horrific, lasting injuries.

Lismore Courthouse July 24, 2024. Picture: Cath Piltz / Northern Star

A North Coast woman who was cycling to visit a friend in Ballina will have ongoing chronic pain after being struck and left by the roadside in agony by a 4WD driver.

The driver of the vehicle that hit her has now faced court.

On July 24, 2023, Hannah Bolt-Roberts, 35, left her home on Kalinga St, Ballina to visit friend Aaron Want at Catherine Cres on her e-bike.

About 10.18pm as she approached Mary St, she could see a Toyota HiLux through the John Kearney Park backing out of Want’s driveway, a court has heard.

She slowed to take the sharp corner on Catherine Cres and was riding in the gutter on the road when she saw a set of headlights coming straight for her in the opposite direction.

Catherine Crescent Ballina where a cyclist was hit by a Toyota HiLux in a hit and run.

Ms Bolt-Roberts saw the ute and the bulbar as it struck her and her bike. She folded across the bulbar and the bonnet before falling to the ground.

28-year-old Tintenbar man Jak Fitzsimmons faced Magistrate Michael Dakin in Lismore Local Court last week charged with fail to stop and assist after vehicle impact causing grievous bodily harm, dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm - drive manner dangerous, and use unregistered registrable class A motor vehicle on road.

He has pleaded guilty to all charges.

The court heard Ms Bolt-Roberts screamed for help after what local residents described as a “crunching metallic sound” and a “loud blunt thud”.

Resident David Pratt ran to the aid of Bolt-Roberts who was screaming in pain after Fitzsimmons fled, court documents revealed.

Lying on the grass verge, she told him it was a “hit and run”. Pratt saw the front wheel of her e-bike was “totally smashed in”.

She told police the ute had turned its lights off then back on after it was around the corner in Mary St. which was confirmed with CCTV footage.

Bolt-Roberts suffered a fractured knee and elbow and a left midfoot injury – requiring surgery to insert hardware into her knee and foot, facts state.

Dr Blake noted Bolt-Roberts would have ongoing chronic pain in her knee, mobility issues and difficulty walking. She may also require further surgeries, the court heard.

Officers from Ballina were at the scene of the hit and run within minutes of the crash.

Police allege Fitzsimmons was driving dangerously by being on the wrong side of the road resulting in a direct collision with the victim, who was riding on the far-left hand side of the road.

CCTV footage showed Fitzsimmons’ ute immediately before the collision, facts state.

In the footage, he was observed to be driving on the wrong side of the road while negotiating the first turn on Catherine Cres. and remained on the wrong side of the road and struck the victim on the second turn on Catherine Cres. police facts state.

Park CCTV footage also showed Fitzsimmons driving along with the headlights off immediately after the collision to avoid detection before turning them back on when turning into Mary St.

Fitzsimmons initially denied hitting the woman, then said he did stop, where she told him to “F–K off” which the magistrate deemed to be untrue.

In a series of text messages between Want and Fitzsimmons, he denied hitting Bolt-Roberts then told Want not to give CCTV footage to police.

“You tell them I was there or they see footage I was there I’m f--ked man. I’m not allowed out, I’m not allowed to own a phone at all, I’m not allowed to drive” Fitzsimmons wrote in the exchange.

Mr Dakin ordered a sentencing assessment report before allowing bail with strict conditions: Fitzsimmons must live with his mother and present to police at the door when requested.

He must have a chaperone when going to work or reporting to police and is forbidden from contact of any kind with prosecution witnesses.

He must not drive nor be found in the drivers seat of any vehicle.

Fitzsimmons is due back in Lismore local court for sentencing on September 25.

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