Inquest into death of young Huon Valley man rescheduled for February, almost four years on

Almost four years after his tragic roadside death, a date has been set for the rescheduled inquest to look into what happened to young Huon Valley man Jari Wise.

Family and friends of Jari Wise stand out the front of Hobart Magistrates Court as Melissa Oates attended court. Picture: Zak Simmonds

An inquest into the death of young Huon Valley man, Jari Wise, has been rescheduled for February.

The two-day hearing in Hobart was due to be held last September, but was delayed due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

The inquest into Mr Wise’s death comes nearly four years after his death on February 29, 2020 – when he was struck by a car driven by his on-off girlfriend, Melissa Oates.

Oates was never charged with manslaughter or causing Mr Wise’s death, but served eight months in jail for dangerous driving, drink driving and failing to stop and assist in an accident.

Jari Wise was killed at Huonville on February 29. Picture: Facebook

Mr Wise’s mother Faith Tkalac spent years campaigning for an inquest into her son’s death, which was refused by the courts but ultimately granted after an extraordinary intervention by former Attorney-General Elise Archer.

Ms Tkalac had long argued a coronial investigation was needed to determine a key question, whether or not her son jumped out in front of Oates’ car.

The inquest will examine whether Mr Wise had a history of jumping in front of cars, and will also look into the circumstances surrounding his death.

It will be held in Hobart on February 6 and 7 before Coroner Simon Cooper.

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