Family Plea For Hit-run Truck Driver To Come Forward
Sydney Morning Herald
Monday January 28, 2008
JOHN ROZYCKI's birthday was always a double occasion for his family to celebrate. The university-bound teenager was born on Australia Day, and on Saturday would have turned 18.
Instead his friends gathered at his Burwood home to join his family in a memorial service honouring his life and mourning his loss in an unsolved hit-and-run accident on the Pacific Highway north of Bulahdelah last month.In Sydney yesterday his grieving parents, Jan and Julitta, and tearful sister Agniesszka spoke of their devastation at his death as they joined police in a renewed appeal for the driver of the truck that struck him down - or anyone who might know the driver's identity - to come forward.Police said it was unlikely the driver of the white prime mover, possibly a B-double, was unaware that he had struck John.The teenager, a P-plate driver, was hit at 4am on December 6 by the south-bound truck while changing a tyre on his silver Subaru in a breakdown lane on the Pacific Highway 15 kilometres north of Bulahdelah.A friend who was travelling with him witnessed the accident. In making an appeal for information at a news conference called by police in Sydney, Mr Rozycki said Australia Day should have been a joyous turning point for his son, who was bound for university. "Unfortunately yesterday his friends came for the party but we couldn't share this day with him." Detective Inspector Peter McKenna said investigators had returned to the crash site every day since the accident, interviewing drivers of similar trucks, while other investigators scanned road cameras for the vehicle. More than 1800 trucks drove that section of road each day."The investigation has come to a point now where we believe it was appropriate to put this appeal out," Inspector McKenna said. "We are appealing for the driver of the truck involved in this collision to come forward." He said the teenagers appeared to have acted correctly by turning on their car's hazard lights and changing the tyre in the breakdown lane. Anyone with information is urged to contact Manning Great Lakes police on 6555 1299 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald