The parents of a Harrison Kitt, 20-year-old involved in a crash, that caused the death of a senior police officer and mother in Adelaide’s south have released a statement in relation to the urrbrae accident.
Detective Chief Superintendent Joanne Shanahan and Tania McNeill died on Sunday when they were hit by a car allegedly being driven at speed by Harrison Kitt, 20.
Kitt had allegedly ran a red light at the Fullarton Road intersection while on the wrong side of the road, becoming airborne before slamming into Shanahan’s Holden and McNeill’s BMW.
Now, Kitt’s parents have released a statement regarding their son’s involvement in the smash.
Parents’ statement “We have only known our son, Harrison, to be a kind, responsible and compassionate young man,” Andrew and Kathy Kitt said.
“We don’t understand what triggered this incident but we had been worried about Harry’s mental health in the few days leading up to it.
“Harry was not himself and his behaviour had become so uncharacteristic that just a short time before the accident one of his friends had called us to express his concerns for Harry’s welfare.”
The Kitts said an ambulance had been despatched to their home to check on their son, but they were not aware of the magnitude of the issue.
“It has only been since Saturday that we have come to learn that what we had been observing in Harry was the tip of an iceberg that had been building quickly over a few short days,” they said.
The young man’s parents said his injuries were serious but “almost insignificant” compared to the “complex mental health issues” he will now need to work through.
“We, and no doubt the family, friends and colleagues of the occupants of the other vehicles, all want to understand why this has happened,” the statement said.
“We expect that it will be some time before the questions on everyone’s minds can be answered.”
“But, whatever underlies what occurred, it cannot bring back the two lives that have been so tragically lost,” the statement said.
“There is no un-doing what has happened and the weight of that recognition is almost impossible to bear.”