South Australian police commissioner shares message after son is killed in alleged hit-and-run
South Africa Police Commissioner Grant Stevens and his wife Emma have thanked the community for their condolences following the death of their son Charlie.
Standing at the Oaklands Park Skate Park in suburban Adelaide, a favorite meeting place for Charlie, Mr Stevens said his family was “overwhelmed” by the support.
“To say our family is overwhelmed by the outpouring of support we have received from so many people is an understatement,” he said.
'The flowers, the cards, the generosity, the kindness, the company and the support have been truly overwhelming and have really touched us and made it just that little bit easier for us to work through this process.'
Charlie, 18, was hit by a car in an alleged accident at Goolwa Beach while celebrating Schoolies with friends on November 17.
South Australian Police Commissioner Grant Stevens and his wife Emma have sent a heartfelt message of gratitude to the thousands of people across the country who have contacted them in their time of grief following the death of their son Charlie last month
“They also looked after us and our family and were incredibly supportive of us, especially the organ donation consultant,” Mr Stevens said.
He suffered irreversible brain damage in the crash and died at Flinders Medical Center on November 18 at 7.01pm.
Mr Stevens thanked the team at the hospital who cared for Charlie.
“They also looked after us and our family and were incredibly supportive of us, especially the organ donation consultant,” he said.
'She was extremely caring and thoughtful and we would like to thank her.'
Charlie was an organ donor and Mr Stevens said his son had helped 'a lot of other people' as a result of the decision he made when he got his driving licence.
Mr Stevens also thanked the first responders on the scene.
“We will always be grateful,” he said, his voice catching for a moment.
Mr Stevens has been a police officer for 42 years and said the support SAPOL provided his family was “very special”.
“I would like to thank the Prime Minister (Anthony Albanese) for his words in Federal Parliament and in particular the Leader of the Federal Opposition Peter Dutton for reading out Charlie's 101 letter to Hansard,” he said.
'It's not something we ever expected, but I think it has had a significant impact on the way people think about road tolls and it has put a face to what is normally just a statistic that we all move past very quickly. to go.'
Mr Stevens has been a police officer for 42 years and said the support SAPOL provided his family was “very special”.
Charlie, 18, was hit by a car in an alleged accident at Goolwa Beach while celebrating Schoolies with friends on November 17.
Mr and Mrs Stevens paid tribute to their son in a public letter, addressing him as '101'.
'I'm writing this as I sit in a bedroom with dirty clothes on the floor, an unmade bed, six drinking glasses in a row on the bedside table, an empty KFC box next to the glasses, cupboard doors left open and a row of skateboards leaning on the wall – it's a mess and it's perfect. This is where 101 lived,” the parents wrote just days after the tragedy.
'101 is Charles Stevens – Charlie, Charlie Boy, Chas, Links, Steve. You lived life and gave so much to so many. You were a force of nature and we will never forget your beautiful cheeky, disarming smile.
“Son, brother, grandson, uncle, nephew, cousin, friends, colleague, teammate. So much more than just a number in a tragic way.”
Mr Stevens concluded his acceptance speech with an appeal to the public to consider organ donation.
Charlie was farewelled on December 1 at the Adelaide Oval, where thousands of people gathered to pay tribute to the beloved Larrikin.
'We want to encourage people to have that conversation with their loved ones about being an organ donor and appreciate that in a time of tragedy you can take some comfort in the fact that someone you care about has enabled other families to potentially prevent that they are going through this. a tragic loss.”
Charlie was farewelled on December 1 at the Adelaide Oval, where thousands of people gathered to pay tribute to the beloved Larrikin.
Mr Stevens addressed his son directly at the service and said: 'Charlie, your mother and I love you. We are devastated that you were taken from us so quickly.
“We said you were a force of nature, full of energy, unstoppable. Unforgettable.'
Mr Stevens said he would return to the force 'when the time is right'.