NSW road crime: Petition for tougher laws sparked by Heckenberg crash passes 20,000 signatures

Politicians will be forced to consider increasing maximum penalties for road-related crime in response to a petition started by a mother whose two children were killed in a tragic road crash.

A Sydney mother whose two children were killed in an alleged hit-run in the city’s southwest has been given a glimmer of hope in her campaign towards tougher penalties for serious road crimes.

NSW Politicians will be forced to consider increasing the maximum penalties for road-related deaths in response to the tragic deaths of Alina Kauffman, 24, and Ernesto Salazar, 15, in September last year.

The siblings were killed in Heckenberg on the evening of September 1 when they were struck by alleged disqualified driver Johnson Kokozian who is currently before the courts charged with nine offences, including two counts of dangerous driving occasioning death.

He has not entered any plea in relation to the nine charges.

Police allege Kokozian was travelling at double the speed limit on the wrong side of the road in a stolen car at the time of the crash before fleeing the scene.

Alina, a nursing student, was driving home after picking up her younger brother from his first job at a local Kmart when their car was hit head-on by the vehicle.

Alina Kauffman.

Ernesto Salazar.

Their deaths prompted an outpouring of grief from family, friends and the border community with thousands putting their name to a petition calling for tougher penalties for serious road crimes.

The petition passed the 20,000 signature milestone – the threshold for it to be formally accepted by parliament and debated by lower house.

The petition, which has been widely shared across social media, notes the charge of Aggravated Dangerous Driving Occasioning Death currently carries a maximum penalty of imprisonment for 14 years – a penalty supporters want increased.

Angelina Kauffman, pictured in September last year, has been petitioning for a review of serious road crimes.

The petition started by Angelina Kauffman, the mother of Alina and Ernesto, states the laws around dangerous driving occasioning death are “in desperate need of change”.

“Please help me get justice for my children and hopefully prevent others from living through the nightmare that my life has become,” it states.

NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley, in a statement to The Daily Telegraph, recognised the petition has been tabled in parliament and said the NSW Government was “committed to ensuring our laws are fit for purpose and move with changing circumstances.”

The crash at Heckenberg sparked an outpouring of grief from the community.

“Serious road crime causes untold misery and suffering for those involved – the victims as well as their families and friends. It also can have a terrible and lasting impact on communities,” he said in the statement.

Mr Daley noted the government is awaiting findings from a current Law Reform Commission review which is investigating serious road crime legislation including potential changes to serious road crime legislation.

Mr Daley has “urged those who would like to have their points of view heard to take part in this consultation” which is open until April 5.

People pictured at a candle light vigil at the cash scene in Heckenberg last year.

The law reform review is also considered sentencing principles, procedures that are relevant to serious road crimes, and the rights and experiences of victims of serious road crimes and their families in the criminal justice system.

NSW Police said it would “welcome any insights and recommendations to improve the experiences of victims and their families and works toward providing a stronger framework of deterrent and accountability associated with road trauma.”

But the review has heard mixed opinions from advocacy and legal groups about potential changes to legislation.

The Law Society of NSW – the peak organisation representing the state’s lawyers – has argued the current maximum sentences are “appropriate” given the legislation is “already among the highest across all Australian jurisdictions”.

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