The father of a 14-year-old boy who was killed Monday in a wrong-way crash on Highway 85 in San Jose released a statement Thursday, calling his child "the most incredible young man."
The boy, identified by his father as Charlie, and his mother, 47-year-old Rebecca Joanne Olsen, were heading northbound on Highway 85 near Highway 87 Monday afternoon when they were struck head-on by a pickup truck driver going the wrong way on the highway, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Rebecca and Charlie died at the scene. The driver of the pickup truck was taken to a hospital with major injuries, according to the CHP.
Charlie's father, Cameron Olsen, took to Reddit to share more about his son's life, address the devastating loss and thank the community for their outpouring of support. Read his entire statement below.
"Throwaway for obvious reasons.
Since Monday I've been looking at the outpouring of love for the victims of the car accident. They announced the mum's name but not the son's (the coroner's office are still working to identify him).
Charlie was my son - he was 14 and the most incredible young man. He was my world. His mum, Bec, and I were both originally from Australia and Charlie was born in the UK. We all moved here 12 years ago as I work at one of the local tech companies.
Charlie recently started at Summit Tahoma high school. If you are ever looking for a school for your gifted child, keep it in mind. By the 3rd day he was raving about how he was able to pass his history exams and he was jumping to grade 10 level math and Spanish.
Charlie was one of the most traveled teens - 30+ countries including taking me to places like Syria, Lebanon, Russia and Azerbaijan. His mum and him went to Antartica for Xmas last year - a trip of a lifetime for them both. He taught himself Arabic at 5 and took immense pride in his knowledge of history and politics. Him and I went to Europe last month and he woke early to watch the results of the UK election. He was very, very unique (and yes, I know most parents say that). He was my best friend, my travel buddy and the only person I ever truly felt at home with.
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Losing a child is the ultimate nightmare for a parent. This week has been a roller coaster of both functional and emotional elements. It feels like it has been weeks and I know the next few months will be hell.
A lot of people have expressed anger at the situation - I'm not at anger situation yet and I may never get there. It feels unfair, yes. I want my son back beyond comprehension.
I want to say thank you for all of the kind words. There was a young man from Summit Tahoma who posted some lovely sentiments - they meant the world to me. San Jose was our home for 12 years and it can be an amazing community.
If you're a parent - give your kids that extra hug today for me. Show intention when you're putting them to bed and put away the phone. If they're young, read them a story like his mother always did. If you want books - reach out to me, I am always happy to provide books for anyone in this community. And please be safe, slow down on the roads and focus on what you're doing. I've not always done that but I don't want anyone else to ever be in this situation."
At about 3:40 p.m. Monday, authorities started receiving calls about a wrong-way driver on Highway 85 near Saratoga Avenue in Saratoga, the CHP said. The driver, identified as 39-year-old Duncan McQuarrie of Orlando, Florida, was reportedly speeding southbound in the northbound lanes of the highway before he slammed into a Tesla Model Y carrying Rebecca and Charlie near the Highway 87 interchange and Santa Teresa Boulevard.
McQuarrie's arrest record shows, among other run-ins with the law, he was cited earlier this year for driving without a license, possession of cocaine in 2021 and drunk driving in 2013.
It wasn't immediately known if drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash.
An investigation is ongoing.
