Police Commissioner opens up about his son's tragic death
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens and his wife Emma have opened up on their heart-breaking loss, sharing how they are still grieving the loss of their son eight months after his tragic passing.
Charlie Stevens was celebrating schoolies when he was killed in a hit-and-run accident, causing a brain injury that he wouldn't wake up from.
He died a day after the accident on November 17th 2023 and was just 18 years old.
Now, his distraught parents have spoken candidly about their last moments with their son.
"It was good to spend time with him, but the hardest thing was leaving for the last time," Grant told 60 Minutes.
Through tears, Emma shared her last words to her youngest born.
"I just said, 'I love you. You're my baby, and you always will be'," she said.
"You know, that's just ... it's devastating," Grant added.
The commissioner and his wife shared that it was not difficult to forgive the young man who caused the death of their son, as the driver, Dhirren Randhawa, was only 18 years old as well.
"I think being a parent, being a mum of an 18-year-old, they're not that smart. They're 18," Emma said.
"And I look at it and I think it also could have been Charlie."
Randhawa, who had no alcohol or drugs in his system at the time of the crash, was initially charged with causing death by dangerous driving, aggravated driving without due care, leaving the scene of a crash after death and failing to truly answer questions but, in reaching a plea deal, has admitted to a charge of aggravated driving without due care and leaving the scene of a crash.
His admission of guilt to those two lesser charges has avoided the pain of going to trial, and instead faces court again next month for sentencing.
Randhawa wrote a letter to the Stevens' apologising for his actions that caused the loss of their son, as Emma said, "And he’s written it, and that it’s words from an 18-year-old. I don’t think he’s been sat down and told what to write."
“I think it’s him. In fact, I’m not so sure Charlie would be able to write something quite as good as that.”
Grant added, "We're grateful that Dhirren has pleaded guilty. It gives us some understanding of his acceptance of his responsibility."
"We appreciate it, we appreciate the fact that he's given us that apology."
After Charlie's death, Grant and Emma asked mourners to channel their grief into donations for Operation Flinders, an outback adventure therapy program that has helped 10,000 at-risk teenagers.
The response to Grant and Emma's request has been overwhelming, with close to $220,000 so far raised in Charlie's name.
"He had an impact on so many, so many people but this is a way that he will continue to have a really positive impact on kids who will never even know about him," Grant proudly said.
Image credits: 60 Minutes