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"She saw it and dodged it": Incredible scenes as tree plunges through seat in Schoolies crash

<p>In a harrowing incident on K'Gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, a group of teenage girls narrowly escaped a potentially tragic accident during their Schoolies celebration.</p> <p>The friends were exploring the picturesque island off the Queensland coast when a tree crashed through the windscreen of their car, plunging right through the headrest of the passenger seat.</p> <p>Miraculously, all occupants emerged unscathed from this near-miss, thanks to a combination of quick reflexes and the timely intervention of volunteers from the Fraser Coast Red Frogs.</p> <p>As the teens ventured through the island's terrain, their joyous celebration took a terrifying turn when a massive tree limb plummeted onto their vehicle. The impact shattered the glass directly in front of the passenger seat, creating a scene of devastation that could have resulted in serious injuries – or worse.</p> <p>Astonishingly, one of the girls was seated in the passenger seat at the time, and her quick thinking and agility allowed her to dodge the falling debris, narrowly avoiding a potentially life-threatening situation.</p> <p>Tim Winnington, the Fraser Coast Red Frogs coordinator, described the fortuitous nature of the escape, saying, "There was a girl actually sitting in the passenger seat. She saw it and dodged it. They were so lucky not to get injured."</p> <p>The Red Frogs, a charity organisation that provides support and education at events like Schoolies and music festivals, played a crucial role in the aftermath of the incident, with volunteers from the organisation waiting with the shaken teenagers until help arrived.</p> <p>Madhill Motor Group, the generous donor of the ute used by the Red Frogs team, highlighted the gravity of the situation with photos shared on Facebook to demonstrate just how close the call was. The teenagers, treated for shock by paramedics, were fortunate to walk away physically unharmed, a fact not lost on them or their friends.</p> <p>In the aftermath of the incident, a friend of the girls expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Red Frogs for their swift and effective response. “They were all so lucky to walk away with no one being injured, and very lucky the Red Frogs were on scene so quickly and helped them so much, getting them a room to stay, driving their car for them, cleaning up all the glass and calming them all down in this traumatic experience,” they wrote. “We are all extremely grateful that you were there.”</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Shocking new details in alleged hit and run that killed Police Commissioner's son

<p>Shocking details have emerged from the <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/police-commissioner-s-son-killed-during-schoolies-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alleged hit-and-run</a> crash that killed South Australia's Police Commissioner's son Charlie Stevens. </p> <p>At Christies Beach Magistrates Court on Wednesday, three witnesses of the incident claimed accused hit-and-run driver Dhirren Randhawa, 18, did a U-turn in his car and drove into 18-year-old Charlie, while he was waiting for a Schoolies shuttle bus. </p> <p>The witnesses, who were waiting with Charlie, say they flagged down Mr Randhawa to see if they could hitch a ride. </p> <p>However, the driver realised he didn't have enough room in the car for the whole group, and drove away before doing a U-turn, according to the witnesses. </p> <p>Court documents revealed that he then allegedly sped up and started travelling on the wrong side of the road before hitting Charlie and driving away. </p> <p>The witness states Mr Randhawa then drove a short distance before calling his mother and asking whether he should turn himself into a police station or call the police.</p> <p>As he was talking to her, the police arrived and arrested him, the witness said.</p> <p>However, another witness told a different version of events, saying Charlie ran in front of Mr Randhawa's car. </p> <p>Mr Randhawa left the courtroom with his mother by his side after being granted bail. </p> <p>Randhawa has been 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.</p> <p>Charlie sustained irreversible brain damage from the incident, and died 24 hours later in hospital <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/nat-barr-overwhelmed-by-police-commissioner-s-heartbreaking-letter-to-his-fallen-son" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surrounded by his family</a>. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p>

Legal

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Police Commissioner's son killed during schoolies week

<p>The son of South Australia's police commissioner has tragically died after an alleged hit and run. </p> <p>Charlie Stevens, 18, was celebrating the end of high school when he was run down on Friday evening in Goolwa, about 90km southeast of Adelaide. </p> <p>Charlie sustained irreversible brain damage from the incident, and died 24 hours later in hospital surrounded by his family. </p> <p>Police said the 18-year-old driver, Dhirren Randhawa, failed to stop at the scene but was found nearby.</p> <p>Randhawa has been 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.</p> <p>In a statement, Commissioner Grant Stevens and his wife Emma thanked police, first responders and other emergency services workers who attended the incident.</p> <p>“The Stevens family also wish to thank the wider community for their support during this difficult time in particular the family acknowledge the dedicated staff at the Flinders Medical Centre for their care and support of Charlie and his family and friends,” they said.</p> <p>Tributes have poured in for the teenager, as his older brother Tom called Charlie his "best mate, biggest rival and number one fan".</p> <p>"It breaks my heart (that) my days of being a big brother have come to an end," he said.</p> <p>SA Police Deputy Commissioner Linda Williams became emotional when sharing speaking about the incident, as she told reporters Charlie was an apprentice carpenter who had recently finished school and as excited about the next stage of his life.</p> <p>“[Commissioner Stevens] is with his family who are waiting for other family members from interstate to arrive,” the deputy commissioner said.</p> <p>“As you can imagine, this is a very difficult statement for me to make."</p> <p>“We always talk about this happening to other people but the reality is it can happen to anyone.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: SA Police</em></p>

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