Charlie Stevens death: South Australian Police Commissioner Grant Stevens and his wife recall the heartbreaking final words to their teenage son killed in a hit-and-run

South Australia’s most senior police officer and his wife have spoken candidly about the heartbreaking loss of their youngest child and the last thing they ever said to their son.

The pain is still painful for Police Chief Grant Stevens and his wife Emma, ​​seven months after the tragedy that struck their family.

Charlie Stevens, 18, was waiting with friends for the bus to the Schoolies celebrations when he was hit by a car driven by Dhirren Randhawa in Goolwa, south of Adelaide, on November 17 last year.

Charlie was airlifted to Flinders Medical Centre but died the next day surrounded by his family from severe brain injuries.

Commissioner Stevens and his wife wept as they revealed their final words to Charlie in a powerful interview that aired Sunday night on 60 Minutes,

“There are some things I won’t repeat because I was angry with him,” Mrs. Stevens recalled.

“I think I just said, ‘I love you. You’re my baby and you always will be.'”

Commissioner Stevens added: “It was nice to spend time with him, but the hardest part was saying goodbye for the last time.”

The couple acknowledged that not only their own lives had been changed forever, but also the life of the driver who had killed their son.

They showed a remarkable amount of compassion and forgiveness towards Rhandhawa, who was also 18 and had his P-plates at the time.

“You know he’s going to have to live with this for the rest of his life,” Mrs. Stevens said.

“I think as a parent, as a mother of an 18-year-old, they’re not that smart. They’re 18.

“And when I look at it, I think it could have been Charlie.”

Rhandhawa was initially charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving under duress without due care, leaving the scene of an accident after death and failing to answer questions.

However, in a plea agreement, he admitted driving under adverse conditions without due care and leaving the scene of an accident.

He is due to appear in court next month to hear his sentence.

If Rhandhawa admits his guilt, it will spare the Stevens the pain of a trial.

“We are grateful that Dhirren has pleaded guilty,” said Commissioner Stevens.

“It gives us some insight into his acceptance of responsibility.”

Rhandhawa wrote a letter of apology to the Stevens, for which they are very grateful.

“We appreciate it, we appreciate that he apologized to us,” Commissioner Stevens said.

We believe this gives us clear insight into his acceptance and responsibility.

“But I think given what still needs to happen in the trial, we’ll just let it happen.”

His wife added: “And he wrote it, and it’s the words of an 18-year-old,” Mrs. Stevens said.

“I don’t think he was sat down and told what to write. I think it’s him.”

Mrs. Stevens then joked, “I’m not actually sure Charlie could write anything that good.”

Commissioner Stevens admitted he never thought his family would hear the news that a loved one had been murdered.

“I’ve always thought that delivering a death announcement is the hardest thing a police officer can do,” he told the program.

‘And as much as you sympathize with the families you give that information to, you have no idea, no sense of how tragic it is and how it tears your heart apart.

“You never think it will happen to you.”

The couple also revealed that as an organ donor, Charlie had given seven people a second chance at life.

They looked back on his memorable funeral service, which was attended by nearly 2,000 people.

In lieu of flowers, the Stevens family asked the bereaved to make a donation to Operation Flinders, an outback adventure therapy program that has been running for more than 30 years.

In that time, Operation Flinders has so far helped 10,000 vulnerable teenagers.

Thanks to the overwhelming response, nearly $220,000 has been raised in Charlie’s name to date as his legacy continues.