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A grieving mother whose son was hit and killed by a car says she's been deprived of the chance to tell the driver the harm that was done.
Jason Edwards, 40, who used a wheelchair, was on his way to the pub in February 2022, when he was hit by a car pulling out of a service station on Brighton Road in Adelaide.
The case went through the courts on a minor charge, meaning it wasn't mandatory that the victim's family have a say. His mother, Jan, says the resulting fine of just $350 feels like justice denied.
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The driver admitted she was acting without due care, an aggravated offence because someone was hurt.
But when it came time for Jason's family to deliver a victim impact statement to the court last week, the magistrate declined to hear it.
"I'm angry, cross. Angry and bewildered, I just don't understand," Edwards said.
In the higher courts there are safeguards to ensure victims get their say, however, they don't exist in the Magistrates Court.
Edwards has been pushing state parliament to enact a law that would make it mandatory for victims to have a voice.
She believes it would have been important for the driver and others to hear how grave the consequences of inattentive driving can be.
"[The driver] has no idea how we feel, but in court that day we had to sit through how she coped," she said.
Edwards said the driver walked away with only a $350 fine.
"His death meant nothing in the justice system really," she said.
"It means everything to us."
Edwards said she wanted to see tougher penalties enforced for inattentive driving.
"We need to emphasise that it is a privilege to drive on our roadways, and if you violate that privileged then you will be punished," she said.
A spokesperson for the attorney-general told 9News laws regarding victims' rights in court were under review.
