Tragedy-hit woman’s petition fight

Friday 2nd October 2009, 11:37AM BST.

Robert Gaunt The stepmother of a boy who died after a hit-and-run crash near the Shropshire border has collected more than 1,000 signatures on a petition calling on the Government to bring in tougher laws.

Tara Green’s stepson Robert James Gaunt, nine, from Overton, near Ellesmere, died after being hit by two cars on the A539 Wrexham Road in Overton on March 19. In June David Lunn, 61, from Queens Park in Wrexham, was jailed for 22 months for hitting Robert while driving without insurance and a licence, and then attempting to pervert the course of justice by destroying evidence.

Miss Green has launched a petition calling for tougher penalties for motorists who cause death at the wheel while they are unlicensed and uninsured.

She has collected more than 1,000 signatures and more than 300 people have signed up on The Downing Street website.

She said: “We feel that the sentencing guidelines need to be looked at again and the only way to do it is with a petition.

“When people drive unlicensed and uninsured and someone dies as a result – it’s as if their life is worthless when the driver gets such a short sentence.”

Road safety in Overton is to come under the spotlight at a public meeting next week. Villagers are to renew their call for safety measures with North Wales Police and Wrexham Borough Council officials at the meeting in the village hall on Tuesday from 7pm.

View more: Ellesmere news, Wrexham news.