The son of South Australia’s police commissioner is fighting for life after being injured in an alleged hit-and run during a Schoolies festival.
Charlie Stevens, 18, was in Goolwa Beach celebrating schoolies on Friday when he was struck by a car on Beach Rd at about 9pm.
The teen, who’s father is Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to Flinders Medical Centre where it was found he had sustained an “irreversible brain injury”.
He is currently on life support and with his immediate family who are waiting for other relatives to arrive from interstate.
The driver of the car, an 18-year-old Encounter Bay man, did not stop at the scene.
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.
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 attended 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.