A woman whose mother and sister died in a horrific crash believed to be caused by a driver fleeing police is desperately lobbying the government to introduce tough new laws.
Claudine Snow's sister Steffi, 35, and her mother Susan Zimmer, 70, died when their car crashed with a vehicle believed to be driven by Uiatu 'Joan' Taufau in Bonogin in the Gold Coast hinterland on December 30, 2022.
Her mother's 79-year-old ex-partner, Chris Fawcett, was also in the car and was killed in the crash.
Police have charged Taufua with manslaughter, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, evading police and driving without a license.
Taufua, the mother of Brisbane Broncos NRL star Payne Haas and Gold Coast Titans player Klese Haas, has been in police custody since the crash and has not yet reached a plea deal.
Claudine Snow (right) calls on Queensland to change its laws after her mother Susan Zimmer, 70, (left) and her 35-year-old sister Steffi were killed in a fiery crash by a driver fleeing police
Claudine Snow's sister Steffi, 35, and her mother Susan Zimmer, 70, died when their car crashed with a vehicle allegedly driven by the mother of NRL star Uiatu 'Joan' Taufau in Bonogin in the Gold Coast hinterland on December 30, 2022 (photo)
depicted, the aftermath of the fiery crash
Ms Snow is now calling on Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan to introduce a mandatory prison sentence for drivers found guilty of fleeing police.
Evading police is a criminal offense under Queensland law, with those found guilty being fined or jailed.
However, Ms Snow wants the law changed so that drivers found guilty of evading police face a mandatory prison sentence.
She added that Queensland could follow NSW after the state introduced Skye's Law, which was named after toddler Skye Sassine who was killed in 2009 by a driver fleeing police.
In a letter to Mr Ryan, she suggested Queensland's law could be called 'Susan's Law' in honor of her mother.
“I've often wondered what my mother would do if I had died in that accident and she survived?” she wrote, the Courier mail reported.
“She would advocate for change. Unless something changes, nothing changes.”
Ms Snow said she understands not every motorist follows the law, but hopes the change will make drivers think twice before fleeing police.
“This creates a scenario where a potential perpetrator may view police stops as the lesser of two evils,” she wrote in her letter to the minister.
'This is why I am writing to you, seeking an audience who can follow the inspiration of NSW, where Skye's Law… makes it crystal clear that no matter how much an offender wants to stop the police, the consequences for the alternative are far more serious are.'
Uiatu “Joan” Taufua, mother of Brisbane Broncos player Payne Haas and Gold Coast Titans player Klese Haas, has been in police custody since the crash. It is alleged she was driving erratically and then sped away when a patrol car tried to intercept her vehicle
Ms Snow has written to Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan calling for drivers found guilty of fleeing police to serve a mandatory prison sentence (kudos to Steffi, Susan and Chris Fawcett)
Pictured: Stephanie and Susan Zimmer
Ms Snow said she understands the law will not change the behavior of every driver, but argues that 'one life saved is better than none'.
Police allege Taufua drove a Mercedes car erratically through the suburb of Bonogin before driving away when a patrol car activated its lights in an attempt to stop the vehicle.
Officers did not give chase, but briefly encountered the horror crash site further down the road after attempting to intercept the car.
Taufua, who was pulled from the burning wreckage by witnesses, was the only survivor of the crash and there is no indication that either of the Haas brothers were involved.