A grieving Brisbane family has left a heartfelt tribute to a 17-year-old girl killed in an alleged hit-and-run that triggered a large-scale police search and resulted in an arrest hours later.
The teenager – identified by loved ones only as Olivia – was found on a Margate roadway in Brisbane’s north just before 11.30pm on Monday with “catastrophic injuries”.
Police made desperate attempts to save her life, but she tragically died at the scene.
Authorities launched an urgent manhunt for the driver of a white Nissan Navara ute after reports it had fled the scene, with officers warning their investigation would be “relentless”.
“It’s a significant incident. It’s a serious matter,” a Queensland Police spokesperson said.
A 58-year-old man was arrested and later charged over the incident.
Earlier on Tuesday, Olivia’s devastated family released a deeply emotional statement, sharing that the cherished daughter and sister was only a month away from turning 18.
“She loved those close to her with her whole heart,” they said.
“She never fully realised how beautiful she truly was and never realised how much she touched the people around her.”
Her family remembered her as a gentle, caring young woman who “had a way of ensuring everyone she crossed paths with felt cared for and understood”.
They said the teen had only recently begun to regain her footing after navigating significant personal challenges.
“Her resilience became a quiet rhythm in her life, a way for her to remind herself to never give up,” the family statement said.
“Just as Olivia was getting better, getting her light back, she was taken from us far too soon.”
The 58-year-old Scarborough man has been charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death and leaving the scene of an incident without obtaining help.
He has been refused police bail and is due to appear in Redcliffe Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
Images: 7News / Queensland Police
