Second-by-second detail reveals Charlie Stevens final moments before he was struck by teen driver in Schoolies hit-and-run
The young driver who killed a police commissioners son had refused the teen a lift only moments before even after offered money, court documents show.
The young driver who killed a police commissioners son had refused the teen a lift only moments before even after offered money, court documents show.
Dhirren Randhawa had performed a U-turn in his Volkswagen Golf when distracted by the friends of Charlie Stevens and didnt see the 18-year-old in the path of his car until it was too late on November 17, 2023 at Goolwa Beach in South Australia.
Charlie, the son of SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, suffered irreversible brain damage in the crash and died at Flinders Medical Centre the next day.
On Thursday, the Stevens family came face-to-face with their sons killer at a court ntencing hearing in Adelaide after Randhawa pleaded guilty to aggravated driving without due care and leaving an accident scene after cause.
The events leading up to the hit-and-run were laid bare in harrowing detail in a statement of agreed facts, co-authored by defence and prosecution lawyers and released by South Australias District Court to the Adelaide Advertiser.
The court documents revealed Charlie and three friends were celebrating Schoolies at a Goolwa Beach shack south of Adelaide owned by his family.
They flagged down Randhawa at about 9pm, who was driving with his girlfriend Montana Bowd, and asked for a ride to the holiday town of Victor Harbor but he said no because he did not want to risk demerit points on his P-plates.
Despite the group offering to pay Randhawa for a ride but he still declined.
Dhirren Randhawa, 19, attends Adelaides District Court on Thursday for sentencing submissions
The documents state that while some of Charlies group were drinking alcohol, the conversation with Randhawa was at all times amicable.
Randhawa did a U-turn to head back the way he came on Beach Road.
The statement of facts stated that the section of Beach Road was poorly lit with just two overhead street lights that did not provide illumination beyond their relative vicinity.
As Randhawa proceeded north, he could see some members of the group standing in the northbound lane, near the location where he had left them moments before, the document states.
Randhawa was accelerating as he approached the group … the young men moved west toward the verge. Randhawa moved across the white painted broken centre line into the southbound lane to allow a safe distance to pass.
The document said Randhawa was focused to the group to his left but did not see Charlie on the eastern side of Beach Road.
Charlie suddenly moved into his field of vision from Randhawas right, the document stated.
Charlie Stevens was 18 when he was struck by Randhawas Volkswagen Golf at South Australias Goolwa Beach last November
At that point, Charlie was on the southbound lane of Beach Road moving west and into the path of the oncoming Golf.
He then turned to make his way back east toward the eastern verge in an attempt to avoid the Golf.
When Randhawa saw Charlie, he did not brake or decelerate, but turned in a north-westerly direction away from Charlie in an effort to avoid hitting him, according to the court documents.
However, he was unsuccessful and struck Charlie.
The document stated that immediately following upon impact Randhawa heard yelling.
Believing that the group was a danger to his and Ms Bowds safety, he decided not to stop, it says.
He continued to drive north, turning off Beach Rd into a side street, where he stopped.
SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens is seen arriving with his family at court on Thursday
Charlies friends called Triple-0, while Randhawa called his mother but received no answer, and then called his sister.
He resumed driving toward Port Elliott.
He and Ms Bowd passed a police car and, as it did a U-turn, Randhawa pulled over.
Immediately upon speaking to the officers, he volunteered that he had hit someone with his vehicle, the document states.
Randhawa was tested for drugs and alcohol … the testing showed that there was no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time his Golf struck Charlie.
Earlier on Thursday, Commissioner Stevens detailed in court how the loss of his son had devastated the family in a harrowing victim impact statement.
Mr Stevens said he talks about his son every day, who would have been 19 in April (Charlie Stevens is pictured)
Not a single day goes by when we dont talk about Charlie, when we dont talk about him together, there is not a day when we dont shed a tear thinking about our son and how much we miss him, Commissioner Stevens said.
Charlie would have been 19 on the 28th of April this year, but instead of celebrating it, it took all our efforts just to get through the day.
And we know that that grief is with us for the rest of our lives.
Commissioner Stevens looked directly at Randhawa before speaking.
We acknowledge you have taken responsibility for what you have done and we are sure this has been difficult for you, he told the young man.
There is not a day when we dont shed a tear thinking about our son and how much we miss him, Mr Stevens (pictured right with son Charlie) told the Adelaide District Court on Thursday
But you get to move on and the people close to you still have you in their lives. We dont have Charlie and we want you to remember that.
Randhawa delivered an apology to the Stevens family.
Youre always on my mind and so is Charlie and you will be forever. Theres so much Id like to say but mostly I want to say Im sorry, and Im sorry Charlie, he said.
Randhawas mother Amreeta Stara wept as she expressed her devastation.
Words cannot adequately convey the sorrow and regret that I feel for this devastating incident, she said.
She spoke of the emotional and mental turmoil that has gripped her family since the crash that has traumatically changed our lives forever.
Judge Joanne Tracey is considering an appropriate sentence for Randhawa, who remains on bail.
Jane Abbey KC, appearing for Randhawa, said the parties accepted Mr Randhawa ought to have kept a better attention to any risk that might have presented itself out of darkness on the other side of the road.
And it was incumbent on him (Dhirren) to keep a better look out to the opposite side of the road.
Randhawa was originally charged with causing Charlies death by dangerous driving but pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of aggravated driving without due care, and to leaving the scene of an accident scene after causing death.
He faces a maximum 15-year prison term, and a minimum 10-year licence disqualification.
Judge Tracey has listed October 22 for her sentence.
The Stevens family left the court into waiting cars after the submissions.
Randhawa declined to answer questions for the waiting media as he left the court.
