NSW police sergeant convicted of dangerous driving causing Indigenous teen's death
Consensus Summary
In February 2022, 16-year-old Aboriginal boy Jai Kalani Wright died after crashing into an unmarked police car driven by NSW Police Sergeant Benedict Bryant in Sydney’s Alexandria. Bryant was convicted in November 2025 of dangerous driving occasioning death after Judge Jane Culver ruled he created an unauthorized roadblock, posing a real risk of collision. Jai’s parents, Kylie Aloua and Lachlan Wright, delivered emotional victim impact statements in court, describing lifelong grief and stating they do not wish for Bryant to be jailed. Both sources confirm Jai was riding an allegedly stolen trail bike at excessive speed when the crash occurred, and Bryant failed to activate lights or sirens. The sentencing hearing is set for June 5, 2026, marking a rare conviction for a police officer in the death of an Indigenous person in custody. Jai’s organ donation saved three lives, and his family continues to mourn his loss, with his father noting he was named after a murdered cousin and served as the family’s emotional center.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Jai Kalani Wright, 16, died on February 1, 2022, after crashing into an unmarked police car in Alexandria, Sydney
- Sergeant Benedict Bryant, 47, was found guilty of dangerous driving occasioning death in November 2025
- Jai was riding an allegedly stolen trail bike at approximately 68 km/h in a 40 km/h zone on Henderson Rd, Eveleigh, when the collision occurred
- Bryant was driving an unmarked police vehicle without activated lights or sirens at the time of the crash
- Jai’s mother, Kylie Aloua, read a victim impact statement in court, describing lifelong grief and stating she does not wish for Bryant to serve jail time
- Jai’s father, Lachlan Wright, stated that Jai was named after a cousin who was murdered when Wright was 20, and that Jai was the 'glue' of the family
- Jai’s organ donation saved three lives after his death
- Judge Jane Culver ruled that Bryant ‘established a roadblock’ and used his car as an obstruction without authorization, proving dangerous driving beyond reasonable doubt
- The sentencing hearing for Bryant is scheduled to resume on June 5, 2026, in Downing Centre District Court
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The article includes a warning that the story contains the name and image of a deceased Indigenous person.
- Jai’s family wore custom-made T-shirts with Jai’s face on them during the court appearance.
- Judge Culver’s full reasoning from late 2025 stated Bryant ‘effectively established a roadblock’ and should have known the risk of collision.
- Permission was granted for Jai to be named and pictured by the media during the proceedings.
- The article notes that this is the first time a police officer has been convicted for the death of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person in custody.
- The article mentions that 630 First Nations people have died in police or prison custody since the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
- Bryant’s barrister, Brent Haverfield, argued that Bryant was ‘carrying out a duty he was called to’ and it was a ‘momentary misjudgement’.
- The article includes a PolAir image of the accident site and a photo of Jai as a young boy with his mother.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- No contradictions found between the two sources on core factual claims.
Source Articles
Mum’s incredible call after son killed in crash
The family of an Aboriginal teenager who was killed in a crash with a police officer say they don’t want their son’s death to be just another statistic.
'Completely broken': Parents share anguish after fatal police collision
The parents of 16-year-old Jai Kalani Wright, who died after colliding with a police car, share their emotional testimonies in court as the sentencing hearing begins.