Grandmother Shirley Kempster and Harley’s mother, Helen Kempster, mourn the loss of the popular 17-year-old.
By Rebecca Fraser
THE mother of a Doveton teenager killed in a car crash last week almost lost her own life at the same age.
Helen Kempster’s 17-year-old son, Harley Debnam, was killed and his 15-year-old brother, Josh, seriously injured when a car in which they were back seat passengers crashed into a power pole late Thursday night.
The grief-stricken mother said she had also been in a serious road accident when she was 17, suffering a broken leg, fractured ribs and needing extensive skin grafts.
Ms Kempster said she had always warned her children to be careful who they got into a car with.
She said she again warned her son only two days before his death.
The driver of the car, 20-year-old Christophe Etienne, of Doveton, appeared in the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Friday charged with culpable driving, two counts of negligently causing serious injury, driving in a manner dangerous and driving while disqualified.
He was remanded in custody and appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
No application for bail was made and he will appear again on Monday, 23 October for a committal mention.
Mr Etienne and his front-seat passenger were not injured.
Mr Etienne’s sister, also a passenger, was taken to The Alfred hospital with serious, but non-life threatening injuries.
Ms Kempster said Josh would now undergo surgery to repair a broken arm and was still coming to terms with the loss of his brother.
She said her four-year-old grandson had also started asking where ‘Uncle Harley’ was, and another friend had telephoned the house on Sunday unaware of his death.
“I had to say ‘sorry to tell you, but Harley is dead’,” Ms Kempster said.
Ms Kempster said her son had been a popular boy, as evidenced by the number of flowers placed on the power pole where he died and the number of phone calls she had received at her Eumemmerring home.
“He had so many friends,” she said.
A message left on the power pole from Harley’s father read “To my son Harley. I love you. Dad. RIP.”
Ms Kempster said she hoped Harley’s death would show young people the tragic consequences that could happen when driving.
“If it saves one life I am sure Harley would be happy with that,” she said.
Police had earlier detected the Kia Rio allegedly speeding along the Monash Freeway before the car hit the pole at the intersection of Power and Kidds Roads in Doveton about 11.50pm on Thursday.
The car was involved in a brief pursuit but police officers said this was terminated after only a few seconds as the vehicle travelled along Power Road.
Ms Kempster said she did not blame the police for her son’s death.
