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1 year ago
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The 18-year-old son of the SA Police Commissioner has died after suffering an irreversible brain injury after he was allegedly hit by a car on schoolies week.
Charlie Stevens, 18, was celebrating in Goolwa Beach, 70km south of Adelaide, when he was struck by a car on Beach Road at about 9pm on Friday.
The teen, whose father is Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, suffered serious injuries and was flown to Flinders Medical Centre where it was found he had sustained an 'irreversible brain injury'.
His family rushed from across the country to be by his side for his final moments and confirmed shortly before 9pm on Saturday that he had died.
'Commissioner Grant Stevens and wife Emma would like to thank all SAPOL staff, first responders and other emergency services workers who attended the incident,' the family said in a statement shared by SA Police.
Charlie Stevens, 18, was in Goolwa Beach, 70km south of Adelaide , when he was struck by a car on Beach Road at about 9pm on Friday (he is pictured with father Grant Stevens)
Charlie's family rushed from across the country to be by his side for his final moments and confirmed shortly before 9pm on Saturday that he had died (pictured, Goolwa Beach)
'The Stevens family also wish to thank the wider community for their support during this difficult time in particular the family acknowledge the dedicated staff at the Flinders Medical Centre for their care and support of Charlie and his family and friends.'
The driver of the car, an 18-year-old Encounter Bay man, did not stop at the scene.
The president of Goodwood Saints Football Club, where Mr Stevens is a member of the AFL community, sent out a post to members to share the 'tragic' news.
'Charlie has always been an effervescent presence and a pleasure to coach, and well loved within and outside his team,' President Jordan Dodd said in a post to Facebook on Saturday night.
'Our love and thoughts are with Grant and Emma, children Sophie, Dylan, Josh and Tom and their family and friends throughout this extremely difficult time.
'No words could quantify the pain that you must be feeling, and the whole of the club is here alongside you.'
Mental health support programs have been made available for players and families, particularly within the under 17.5 boys and their families.
The driver of the car, an 18-year-old Encounter Bay man, did not stop at the scene and was subsequently charged with causing harm by dangerous driving among other offences (pictured is Police Commissioner Grant Stevens)
Deputy Commissioner Linda Williams broke down in tears as she revealed Charlie's identity to the media on Saturday morning, alongside the premier.
'As you can imagine, this is a very difficult statement,' she said.
'We always talk about this happening to other people but the reality is it can happen to anyone, any family or anyone in the community.
'The sense of grief is always enormous.'
Premier Peter Malinauskas said he and the South Australian community stood with Commissioner Stevens and his family.
'Grant Stevens has served South Australia as a member of South Australian Police for over 14 years,' he said.
'His whole life he has dedicated himself to protecting others, protecting South Australians from evil ...
'We also often find ourselves desperately wishing bad things don't happen to good people, but that is the case, and this is clearly an example of it.'
The 18-year-old driver was pulled over by police a short distance from the scene of the collision at Port Elliot Rd.
Charlie was flown to hospital in a serious condition following the collision (pictured)
He was arrested and charged with causing harm by dangerous driving, aggravated driving without due care, leaving the scene of a serious crash and failing to truly answer questions.
His vehicle was towed from the scene and will undergo forensic examination while the area remained closed off on Saturday morning as it underwent examination by Major Crash Investigators.
The driver will appear in Christies Beach Magistrates Court on Monday November 20.
Charlie Stevens had just begun work as an apprentice carpenter, a job he 'very much loved'.
This comes after Commissioner Stevens spoke to the media at length on Friday, prior to the incident involving his son, regarding the death of a police officer in the town of Senior.
In what he called a 'devastating day for South Australia Police', Commissioner Stevens confirmed that 53-year-old Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig had been fatally shot after attending a rural property where he was confronted by an armed suspect.
Another police officer, Sergeant Michael Hutchinson, was also shot, as well as the 26-year-old occupant later identified as Jaydn Stimson.
It marked the first time a serving police officer had been killed in the line of duty in the state for more than 20 years.
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