The primary particulars in a surprising alleged hit-and-run that killed the younger son of South Australia’s police commissioner have emerged in court paperwork, as the teenager driver on the centre of the tragedy was granted bail.
Three witnesses state accused hit-and-run driver Dhirren Randhawa, 18, did a U-turn in his automotive and drove into Charlie Stevens, the son of Commissioner Grant Stevens, as Charlie and his buddies have been ready for a Schoolies shuttle bus to take them again to Victor Harbor from Goolwa Seaside on Friday evening.
The witnesses, who mentioned they have been ready with Charlie, say they flagged down Mr Randhawa, who was driving a blue VW Golf, to see if they might hitch a trip.
However there was not sufficient room within the automotive and the witnesses say Mr Randhawa drove away earlier than making a U-turn.
He then allegedly sped up and began travelling on the fallacious facet of the highway earlier than hitting Charlie, court paperwork reveal.
There isn’t any suggestion of animosity between the teams.
However a second eyewitness account from contained in the automotive tells a distinct story, in line with the court paperwork.
The witness states some males have been on the western facet of the highway and partially on the footpath, however there was additionally a male on the japanese facet of the highway.
She says a male from the japanese facet ran throughout the highway into Mr Randhawa’s automotive, in line with the court paperwork.
The witness states Mr Randhawa then drove a brief distance earlier than calling his mom and asking whether or not he ought to flip himself right into a police station or name the police.
As he was speaking to her, the police arrived and arrested him, the witness mentioned.
The details of cost doc, which recounts the eyewitness accounts, was on Monday lodged with Christies Seaside Magistrates Court, the place Mr Randhawa appeared for the primary time within the afternoon.
His mom Amreeta Stara attended the court, sitting within the entrance row of the room.
She sat silently and didn’t say something shifting in or out of the courthouse.
The court granted Mr Randhawa bail and he left the court along with his mom and supporters within the late afternoon, shifting by way of a scrum of media right into a ready automotive.
South Australia has been left reeling from the tragedy.
Charlie suffered irreversible mind injury within the smash and Mr Stevens, his spouse Emma and their 4 different children, Sophie, Dylan, Josh and Tom, mentioned their goodbyes to Charlie at Flinders Medical Centre alongside prolonged family.
Charlie died at 7.01pm on Saturday.
Photographs of the automotive present injury to the motive force’s facet of the automobile.
The police have charged Mr Randhawa with inflicting dying by harmful driving, aggravated driving with out due care, leaving the scene of a crash after inflicting dying and failing to actually reply questions.
If he’s discovered responsible, he faces a most jail time period of 15 years and disqualification from holding or acquiring a driver’s licence for 10 years.
Director of Public Prosecutions Martin Hinton KC is dealing with the case for the prosecution and he didn’t oppose bail for the teenager.
Mr Randhawa’s bail situations embrace forfeiting his passport, agreeing to reside along with his mom and setting apart $15,000 as a assure.
Mr Randhawa can also be banned from contacting 4 folks related to the case.
Ms Stara expressed her condolences to the Stevens household in an announcement from Saturday.
“I lengthen my deepest potential sympathies to the Stevens household and my coronary heart is breaking to think about the struggling and ache they’re experiencing,” she mentioned.
“Out of respect and acknowledging that that is now a matter for the courts, I received’t be saying something additional right now.”
The household have employed barrister Jane Abbey KC to assist with Mr Randhawa’s authorized case.
Mr Randhawa, from Encounter Bay and a graduate of Victor Harbor Excessive Faculty, held a provisional licence on the time.
He labored as an apprentice barber at a Goolwa hairdresser and it’s understood he held aspirations to review at college.
He’ll subsequent seem in court at Adelaide Magistrates Court in March.
Charlie’s dying marks the a hundred and first fatality on South Australia’s roads this yr in contrast with simply 61 from the identical interval final yr.
It was a second tragedy for the police pressure, coming simply hours after the surprising alleged capturing dying of police officer Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig, 53, at a distant property close to Bordertown within the state’s southeast.
Mr Stevens travelled to Bordertown on Friday to specific his grief on the tragedy, which marked the primary South Australian police officer to die from a capturing within the line of responsibility in 4 many years.
