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The 18-year-old son of South Africa’s police commissioner has died from irreversible head trauma after being hit by a car at a school party.
Charlie Stevens, 18, was at Goolwa Beach celebrating his schoolchildren on Friday when he was hit by a car on Beach Rd at around 9pm.
The teenager, whose father is Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, was seriously injured and airlifted to Flinders Medical Center where he was found to have suffered “irreversible brain damage”.
His family rushed from across the country to be by his side during his final moments and confirmed shortly before 9 p.m. on Saturday that he had died.
“Commissioner Grant Stevens and his wife Emma would like to thank all SAPOL staff, first responders and other emergency service workers who attended the incident,” the family said in a statement shared by South Police -African.
Charlie Stevens, 18, was at Goolwa Beach celebrating schoolchildren on Friday when he was hit by a car on Beach Rd at around 9pm (he is pictured with his father Grant Stevens)
His family rushed from across the country to be by his side during his final moments and confirmed shortly before 9pm on Saturday that he had died (pictured, Goolwa Beach).
The Stevens family would also like to thank the wider community for their support during this difficult time, in particular the family would like to thank the dedicated staff at Flinders Medical Center for the care and support they provided to Charlie, his family and his friends.
The driver of the car, an 18-year-old man from Encounter Bay, did not stop at the scene.
The president of Goodwood Saints Football Club, where Mr Stevens is a valued member of the AFL community, sent a message to club members to share the “tragic” news.
“Charlie has always been an effervescent presence and a pleasure to coach, and well-liked within and outside of his team,” president Jordan Dodd said in a Facebook post Saturday evening.
“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 you must be feeling, and the whole club is here with you.
Mental health support programs have been made available to players and their families, particularly boys under the age of 17.5 and their families in the coming days.
The driver of the car, an 18-year-old man from Encounter Bay, failed to stop at the scene and was later charged with causing damage by dangerous driving, among other offenses (pictured, 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 Prime Minister.
“As you can imagine, this is a very difficult statement,” she said.
“We always say it happens to other people, but the reality is it can happen to anyone, any family or anyone in the community.
“The feeling of grief is still enormous.”
Premier Peter Malinauskas said he and the South Australian community stood with Commissioner Stevens and his family.
“Grant Stevens served South Australia as a member of the South Australian Police for over 14 years,” he said.
“All his life he dedicated himself to protecting others, to protecting South Australians from harm…
“We also often desperately wish that bad things wouldn’t happen to good people, but they do, and this is clearly an example of that.”
The 18-year-old driver was arrested by police near the scene of the collision on Port Elliot Road.
Charlie was taken to hospital in a serious condition after the collision (pictured)
He was arrested and charged with causing harm by driving dangerously, driving without due care, leaving the scene of a serious accident and failing to genuinely answer questions.
His vehicle was towed from the scene and will undergo a forensic examination while the area remained closed Saturday morning while he was examined by major accident investigators.
The driver will appear before Christies Beach Magistrates Court on Monday, November 20.
Charlie Stevens had just started work as an apprentice carpenter, a job he “loved very much”.
This comes after Commissioner Stevens spoke at length with the media on Friday, before the incident involving his son, about 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 Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig, 53, was fatally shot after attending a rural property where he had been confronted by an armed suspect.
Another police officer, Sergeant Michael Hutchinson, was also shot, as was the 26-year-old occupant later identified as Jaydn Stimson.
It was the first time a serving police officer had been killed in the line of duty in the state in more than 20 years.