EXCLUSIVE
The teenage driver accused of killing a top police officer’s son and leaving him on the road to die has been identified – as it’s revealed it’s the family’s second loss within months.
Dhirren Randhawa, 18, allegedly struck Charlie Stevens, 18, with his car on Beach Road in Goolwa Beach, about 84km south of Adelaide about 9pm on Friday.
Charlie, whose father is South Australia‘s Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, had been in the area celebrating schoolies week with friends.
The teen was flown to Flinders Medical Centre where it was found he had sustained an ‘irreversible brain injury’, before sadly passing away about 7pm on Saturday.
Randhawa, 18, an apprentice barber from Encounter Bay, allegedly did not stop at the scene, but was pulled over by police a short distance away on Port Elliot Rd.
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.
Dhirren Randhawa, 18, (pictured) has been charged over the death of Charlie Stevens
Charlie Stevens (pictured) has been remembered by devastated loved ones as a ‘beautiful boy’
Two of the charges have been since been upgraded to causing death by dangerous driving and leaving the scene of a crash after causing death.
Daily Mail Australia can reveal the teenager’s death comes just six months after his maternal aunt, Belinda Price, 48, died after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Ms Price was a much-loved member of the South Australian racing community, with her two sons, Charlie’s cousins Ben and Will, both jockeys for the organisation.
At the time of her death, tributes poured in online as the racing fraternity and loved ones remembered her as a ‘loving and determined’ woman who was an ‘inspiration to all who knew and loved her’.
On May 21, Charlie’s mother Emma shared a photo on Instagram of her holding her sister’s hand during her final moments.
In the caption she wrote: ‘Give dad a hug for me.’
Now, just months later, tributes have begun flowing for her nephew, who had just begun work as an apprentice carpenter after leaving school last year.
One family friend said Charlie would now be with his aunt Belinda.
Charlie is pictured with his dad, SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens
Belinda Price, Charlie’s aunty, passed away in May after a battle with pancreatic cancer
Emma Stevens shared the above picture in May of her holding her sister’s hands as she passed away
‘Rest easy up there Charlie,’ she wrote online.
‘I’m sure Belsy will look after you.’
Charlie’s mother Emma shared a heartbreaking post on Facebook, writing: ‘Forever 18 my beautiful boy, going to miss you and love you for ever.’
His devastated older brother Tom said he would now be ‘forever young’.
‘My best mate, my biggest rival, my number one fan, my little brother Charlie,’ he wrote on Instagram.
‘It breaks my heart my days of being a big brother have come to an end, forever in our hearts, forever young and beautiful.’
The three-day schoolies festival had just kicked off on Friday night when Charlie was allegedly struck in Goolwa, right near a bus station set up to take revellers to festivities in nearby Victor Harbour.
Witnesses have recalled hearing people yelling for ‘help’ as his distraught friends tried to save his life.
Randhawa’s mother broke her silence on Saturday afternoon to offer her condolences to the Stevens family.
‘I extend my deepest possible sympathies to the Stevens family and my heart is breaking to think of the suffering and pain they are experiencing,’ she said in a statement.
‘Out of respect and acknowledging that this is now a matter for the courts, I won’t be saying anything further at this time.’
Charlie Stevens, 18, was in Goolwa Beach celebrating schoolies on Friday when he was allegedly struck by a car on Beach Rd at about 9pm
Charlie was flown to hospital in a serious condition following the collision. Picture: 7 NEWS
Floral tributes have begun to amass at the scene of the alleged crash as mourners pay their respects to the teenager, who was the youngest of five children.
Daily Mail Australia understands Commissioner Stevens will take indefinite leave to be with his family as they grieve.
In a family statement from Sunday night shared by SA Police, Commissioner Stevens and Mrs Stevens thanked the police, first responders and other emergency services workers who attended the incident.
‘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.’
Randhawa is due to face Christies Beach Magistrates Court on Monday.
