MELBOURNE: A reward of A$100,000 is being offered for the arrest of a man who fled to India after being charged over a fatal car accident in Melbourne, the Australian Associated Press reports.
Victoria Police is offering the reward for information leading to the arrest of Puneet Puneet, who had been committed to stand trial for culpable driving in 2008.
Police say this is the first time a reward has been offered in relation to a traffic matter in the state.
Dean Hofstee, 19, was killed on Oct 1, 2008 when he was struck by a car alleged to have been driven by Puneet.
Police say Hofstee and friend Clancy Coker, then 20, both from Queensland, were visiting Melbourne when they were hit by Puneet’s car while walking along City Road here about 12.50am.
Coker survived life-threatening injuries.
Puneet, a 19-year-old learner driver at the time, was charged with culpable driving and negligently causing serious injury.
Experts estimated his car was travelling 148km/h in a 60km/h zone at the time of the crash and he was later found to have a blood-alcohol reading of 0.165. — Bernama