Charlie Stevens, 18, youngest son of South Australia Police Commissioner Grant Stevens (pictured together), was mowed down by a car on his way to his schoolies celebrations

It’s the harrowing tale of two well-to-do families torn apart by tragedy, which has reduced even hardened journalists to tears.

Charlie Stevens, 18, the youngest son of South Australia Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, was mowed down by a car at 9pm on Friday on his way to his Schoolies celebrations.

Malaysian-born Dhirren Randhawa, also 18 – the reportedly teetotal, clean-cut son of an immigrant single mum, author and hypnotherapist – is accused of killing him. 

The P-plated driver was arrested nearby in his magnetic blue 2011 Volkswagen Golf, alongside his high school sweetheart, after allegedly fleeing the crash scene.

Neither family will ever now be the same. 

Charlie Stevens, 18, youngest son of South Australia Police Commissioner Grant Stevens (pictured together), was mowed down by a car on his way to his schoolies celebrations

Charlie Stevens, 18, youngest son of South Australia Police Commissioner Grant Stevens (pictured together), was mowed down by a car on his way to his schoolies celebrations

Charlie Stevens, 18, youngest son of South Australia Police Commissioner Grant Stevens (pictured together), was mowed down by a car on his way to his schoolies celebrations 

Malaysian-born Dhirren Randhawa, also 18, the teetotal, clean-cut son of an immigrant single mum Amreet Stara (pictured together), author and hypnotherapist, is accused of killing him

Malaysian-born Dhirren Randhawa, also 18, the teetotal, clean-cut son of an immigrant single mum Amreet Stara (pictured together), author and hypnotherapist, is accused of killing him

Malaysian-born Dhirren Randhawa, also 18, the teetotal, clean-cut son of an immigrant single mum Amreet Stara (pictured together), author and hypnotherapist, is accused of killing him

Charlie suffered fatal head injuries when the car, allegedly driven by Dhirren, ploughed into him in Goolwa, south of Adelaide, as he waited for a bus to Victor Harbor to join the end-of-year coming-of-age festivities.

He died the following day, and his family is believed to have allowed medics to donate some of his organs for transplant surgery to give new life to others.

In the wake of the heartbreak, Charlie’s family released a gut-wrenching letter paying tribute to their lost son, the youngest of their five children.

Charlie was the 101st traffic fatality in South Australia this year and his family dubbed him 101 in the moving eulogy to him.

‘101 arrived on April 28, 2005 and changed our lives forever,’ Commissioner Stevens and his wife Emma wrote. ‘The last of five – he was different. 

‘Cheeky, intense and funny – a loveable ratbag from the moment he could talk. 

‘He was as frustrating as hell, but he was also the kid who would look after others, befriend the lonely and help those who were struggling. 

‘101 is Charles Stevens – Charlie, Charlie Boy, Chas, Links, Steve. You lived life and gave so much to so many… So much more than just a number on a tragic tally.

‘You were a force of nature and we will never forget your beautiful cheeky, disarming smile.’

Charlie Stevens (pictured) has been remembered by devastated loved ones as a 'beautiful boy'

Charlie Stevens (pictured) has been remembered by devastated loved ones as a 'beautiful boy'

Charlie Stevens (pictured) has been remembered by devastated loved ones as a ‘beautiful boy’

Charlie Stevens was in the Victor Harbor area for schoolies festivities

Charlie Stevens was in the Victor Harbor area for schoolies festivities

Charlie Stevens was in the Victor Harbor area for schoolies festivities 

The letter, given to the media early on Tuesday morning, brought breakfast television to a sobbing standstill. 

Seven’s Sunrise host Nat Barr wept openly as she tried to update viewers on the case after co-host Matt Shirvington read out parts of the letter.

The mother of two similar-aged sons herself – Hunter, 18 and Lachlan, 22 – could not continue after she broke down in tears and producers had to cut to an ad break.

Nine’s Adelaide reporter Tom Rehn – whose stepson was best friends with Charlie – battled through tears to read out the entire letter live on air, his voice broken by emotion, as Sydney hosts Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo listened in shocked silence.

On Monday, Adelaide radio host and former newspaper editor David Penberthy also sobbed as he discussed the tragedy live on air at FIVEaa.

‘It is genuinely unfathomable – it’s actually really hard to talk about, it’s really hard to make sense of, it’s hard to process it,’ he told listeners. 

‘I’ve been feeling physically sick all weekend.

‘Five days ago the bloke is sitting here as he always does, driven by his love for the people of the state, pleading with us to take more care on the roads – and two days after that interview, his son, his family, they are the story.’

Premier Peter Malinauskas called Commissioner Stevens a ‘strong man of extraordinary integrity’ but a ‘human being who loves his family’.

He added: ‘That Commissioner Stevens and his beautiful family have had to endure this heartbreaking tragedy is difficult to comprehend and difficult to put into words.’

Daily Mail Australia understands Commissioner Stevens will take indefinite leave to be with his family as they grieve.

Meanwhile, friends and family of accused driver Dhirren have rallied around the teen to defend him in the wake of horror accident.

His loved ones insist he is a ‘good kid’ who lives with his single mother and younger brother and sister in a modest rented home in Encounter Bay after the family arrived in Australia from Malaysia ‘several years ago’.

The former Victor Harbor School graduate has been dating Montana Rose Bowd, 18, his high school sweetheart – who was in car alongside him at the time of the tragedy – for the past year.

He is now forbidden to speak to her – along with three other teenage friends of Charlie Stevens – under his bail conditions after they became key witnesses.

He worked briefly in a barber’s shop for two weeks but was weighing up his university options and dreamed of studying medicine to become a doctor.  

Those closest to Dhirren insist he has never had an alcoholic drink, taken drugs, or smoked cigarettes.

Friends insist Dhirren Randhawa is a 'good kid' who lives with his single mother Amreeta Stara (pictured leading her son out of court ) and younger brother and sister in a modest rented home in Encounter Bay after the family arrived in Australia from Malaysia 'several years ago'

Friends insist Dhirren Randhawa is a 'good kid' who lives with his single mother Amreeta Stara (pictured leading her son out of court ) and younger brother and sister in a modest rented home in Encounter Bay after the family arrived in Australia from Malaysia 'several years ago'

Friends insist Dhirren Randhawa is a ‘good kid’ who lives with his single mother Amreeta Stara (pictured leading her son out of court ) and younger brother and sister in a modest rented home in Encounter Bay after the family arrived in Australia from Malaysia ‘several years ago’

P-plate driver Dhirren Randhawa was arrested nearby in his magnetic blue 2011 Volkswagen Golf, alongside his high school sweetheart, after allegedly fleeing the crash scene

P-plate driver Dhirren Randhawa was arrested nearby in his magnetic blue 2011 Volkswagen Golf, alongside his high school sweetheart, after allegedly fleeing the crash scene

P-plate driver Dhirren Randhawa was arrested nearby in his magnetic blue 2011 Volkswagen Golf, alongside his high school sweetheart, after allegedly fleeing the crash scene

They hailed his work with local rescue dogs and said he loved spending time with his two pet Akitas, Japanese hunting dogs, Hachi and Bella. 

His mother, Amreeta Stara, is a certified hypnotherapist, psychotherapist and ‘transformational coach’ based out of Victor Harbor with over 22,000 followers on her now-private Instagram account.

She has also published two books centred around self-help through mindfulness, one titled ‘Inner Essence’ and a journal called ‘Six Weeks To Alignment’.

Ms Stara has recruited former Nine Network newsreader Georgina McGuinness as a media advisor on a pro bono basis and barrister Jane Abbey KC to help with Dhirren’s legal case.

A statement issued on behalf of Ms Stara on Saturday offered her family’s condolences to Charlie’s 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.’

Read the gut-wrenching tribute heartbroken police commissioner wrote to his dead son, Charlie 

‘I am writing this sitting in a bedroom with dirty clothes on the floor, an unmade bed, six dinking glasses lined up on the bedside table, an empty KFC box next to the glasses, wardrobe doors left open and a row of skateboards leaning on the wall – it is a mess and it is perfect. This is where 101 lived.

‘101 arrived on the 28th of April 2005 and changed our Iives forever. The last of five – he was different. Cheeky, intense and funny – a loveable ratbag from the moment he could talk. He was as frustrating as hell but he was also the kid who would look after others, befriend the lonely, and help those who were struggling.

‘Intensity shone through as 101 committed to each new passion – Lego, BBL, scooters, footy, cricket, basketball, surfing, downhilling, Fortnite and his skateboard – it was all or nothing and it was always all. 101 hated cheese because his brother did. He was a master of the airfryer, the nutribullet and the steamer. He loved his mum’s curried sausages but he didn’t know where the dishwasher was…

‘His favourite pastime was pushing mum’s buttons – although a different name is on his birth certificate, “f*** off Charlie” was what you would hear most in our house, followed closely by “put a shirt on” and “take your hat off at the table”.

‘101 loved footy. He loved the Cats, he played 100 games for the Mitcham Hawks, then the Jets, the Goody Saints, the Camels and Westies, he just wanted to play and be a part of the team. It was 101 who taught us you can’t shower unless you have your bluetooth speaker fully cranked so mum and dad can’t hear themselves talk in the kitchen. 101 never wanted for soap, shampoo or shavers – someone else in the house always has it – even a used towel.

‘His enthusiasm for school saw no bounds – except start time and school work. But his enthusiasm for his family and his mates was real. 101 had a circle of friends the rest of us could only dream about. He loved his mates and they loved him. His friends parents’ liked having 101 in their homes. He was mates with his brother’s mates. Living with him meant waking up on weekends to four or five extra bodies in spare beds and on couches. It meant the family garage being transformed into a man cave where things parents did not know about (or probably permit) could happen.

‘The only time we saw 101 truly angry was when he was forced to cut his precious hair for his sister’s wedding in 2021. He never went back to a hairdresser again.

‘Being 101’s alarm clock was a role his mum and I took up when he left school and started his apprenticeship. “Get up mate”, “get up mate”, “mate, get up’”, “are you not gong to work today”, followed by “drive safely and don’t speed” becoming the morning mantra.

‘101 thrived at work, he loved working, loved his job and he idolised his boss. It meant he had money for TA Tuesdays and Wednesday wings at the Feathers. 101 was adored by the sausage dogs Grace and Zoe, who would sneak into his bed at night.

‘On a good day we would be lucky to see 101 for half an hour between getting home from work and heading out with his mates, but it was enough.

‘101 is Charlie Hinchliffe 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, friend, workmate, team mate. So much more than just a number on a tragic tally.’

Dhirren’s’s girlfriend was in the front passenger seat when the accident happened and she insisted to police that Charlie had ran across the road into the path of the car.

According to court documents seen by the Adelaide Advertiser, Ms Bowd told police she saw a few males on the western side of the road, and partially on the footpath, and another male on the eastern side of the road.

They allege she said the male on the eastern side of the road ran across the road into the path of Dhirren’s car.

The fresh insight comes as the allegations levelled against Dhirren were laid bare in Christies Beach Magistrates Court on Monday. 

Police allege Dhirren caused death by dangerous driving based on the accounts of the three eyewitnesses who were with Charlie on Friday night, which refutes Ms Bowd’s version.

It is believed Charlie had been staying at his family’s beach house and was waiting at a nearby bus stop to for a shuttle bus to schoolies festivities at the time of the alleged crash.

Police will allege that moments before the tragedy Charlie ‘flagged down’ Dhirren as he drove past to see if they could get a ride, but there was not enough room for them all.

Ms Bowd is not accused of any wrongdoing and there is no suggestion of animosity between the groups. 

According to multiple reports, police allege that as Dhirren drove away, the three witnesses were standing on the grass verge on the road’s western side while Charlie was near the south-bound traffic lane.

Charlie Stevens was flown to hospital in a serious condition following the collision

Charlie Stevens was flown to hospital in a serious condition following the collision

Charlie Stevens was flown to hospital in a serious condition following the collision

As the group continued walking toward the gravel verge, Dhirren performed a U-turn, started to drive on the wrong side of the road and struck Charlie, police allege.

Ms Bowd told officers Dhirren then drove a short distance away, where he called his mother to ask whether he should call police or go to a police station in person.

She allegedly said police turned up while he was still on the phone and he surrendered himself.

Charlie was flown to Flinders Medical Centre with an ‘irreversible brain injury’. His life support was switched off around 7pm on Saturday after family from interstate arrived to say their goodbyes. 

Dhirren was later charged with causing death by dangerous driving, aggravated driving without due care, leaving the scene of a crash after causing death and failing to truly answer questions.

If convicted, he faces a maximum 15 years in jail and disqualification from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for 10 years or such longer period as the court orders.

You May Also Like

Worker rescued from collapsed subway construction site in South Korea after 13 hours

South Korean rescue workers on Saturday pulled a man from a collapsed…

Tom Thibodeau faces rest vs. rhythm decision in Knicks’ season finale

The Knicks will hold a hearty rest vs. rhythm debate ahead of…

Michael used AI to write a work email. It ended up costing him $2000

As businesses across Australia explore the benefits of generative AI in the…

Family of Maryland man found dead during Bahamas vacation ‘afraid’ evidence will ‘disappear’ as they are left in the dark

The family of the Maryland music producer found dead while on vacation…