The Tasmanian Motor Accident Insurance Board is suing a woman for damages after her actions led to the death of an Aboriginal man six years ago.
The Board (MAIB) is seeking seeking $934,577 in damages from Melissa Oates after she ran over and killed her ex-partner, Wadi Wadi and Wamba Wamba man Jari Wise, while drunk and speeding in Huonville, south of Hobart, in February 2020.
On the night of Mr Wise's death, Ms Oates had been drinking and was more than three times over the legal blood-alcohol limit when the incident occurred, was driving at more than double the 50km/h speed limit and without wearing her glasses.
She served eight months of a 14 month sentence imposed in April, 2021, after pleading guilty to three driving offences.
However, Ms Oates was never found legally responsible for the death of Mr Wise.
In late 2025, the Tasmanian MAIB lodged documents in the Supreme Court of Hobart seeking $934,577 in damages and scheduled benefits, for the benefit of Mr Wise's mother, Faith Tkalac.
The document stated Ms Tkalac was "a person who suffered personal injury due to negligent driving of the defendant," per the ABC.
The claim yet to be responded to by Ms Oates.
Following Mr Wise's death a coronial inquest was not held, with Ms Wise's grandmother, Rissah Vox, saying she had been told it wasn't in the public interest for there to being an inquest.
"He said that it wouldn't lead to any change in what should have been sentenced, so there was no point in having an inquest," Ms Vox said.
However in 2023, then Tasmanian Attorney-General Elise Archer ordered the coroner to hold an inquest into the death of Ms Wise just hours after a Supreme Court judge ruled one out.
Ms Archer's order relieved Ms Vox, who at the time called for Tasmania's integrity commission to investigate the process.
The following year the opening day of the inquest descending into chaos, with the arrest of a witness and and another warned by the coroner.
During the inquest a photo of Ms Oates' severely damaged van was shown to the court, with lawyer Fabiano Cangelos, representing Mr Wise's mother, Faith Tkalac, saying if Ms Oates did not see Mr Wise before hitting him with her vehicle, she "must accept" she "could not say whether he stepped in front of the car or not".
"I don't remember, Ms Oates responded.
"It's a simple question, I'm going to ask you one more time to see whether you're willing to answer it," Mr Cangelos said, after repeating the question numerous times.
"No, I did not see Jari," Oates replied.
"I didn't see him so I couldn't say."
The inquest eventually found no evidence that Ms Oates struck Mr Wise deliberately, and insufficient evidence that she would have seen him on the road.
After campaigning from Ms Tkalac, a law change, known as Jari's Law, passed Tasmanian Parliament in 2023 requiring inquests into deaths where family violence was a contributing factor.
