Olivia Stevens’ grieving mother says ‘sorry doesn’t cut it’ after fatal buggy tragedy

The mother of six-year-old Olivia, who was tragically killed in a buggy accident, says it’s too hard to face the family involved in the death of her daughter.

“Bye Mum, I’ll be fine.”

These are the haunting final words bright and bubbly six-year-old Olivia Stevens said to her loving mother as she waved her goodbye from a play date at her best friend’s house.

But less than 30 minutes later, little Olivia would be lying in a paddock unconscious, her organs crushed by a heavy-duty farming vehicle on which she had been a passenger.

It’s a painstaking loss her parents Yana and Scott Stevens are struggling to comprehend, describing the ordeal as a “nightmare”.

Olivia with her mum, Yana.

“Our lives will never be the same,” Ms Stevens said.

“How was it out of the seven kids on the buggy, Olivia was the only one who copped it all. I almost feel like she was sent there to save them all. If it wasn’t for her, there would have probably been more injured, or more that died.

“It just doesn’t make sense. In the split of a second, a life can be gone. It is unbelievable. I just don’t understand why this was thrown at us.”

Ms Stevens, a well-respected family dental surgeon in Heyfield, dropped her daughter off at Damien and Abbey Gibson’s Rosedale property last Saturday afternoon for a long-anticipated play date.

Yana Stevens on Olivia’s bed surrounded by her daughter’s favourite toys. Picture: David Caird

Children from three families were enjoying the beautiful spring day in the Gibson’s swimming pool, all excited to have returned to Gippsland Grammar the day before after emerging from lockdown.

Olivia and the Gibson’s third eldest daughter Emily met at kinder last year and immediately became best friends, causing their families to become intertwined.

The two families regularly had barbecues and hold fond memories from recent camping and snow trips together.

But plans of future adventures would grind to a halt when Saturday’s tragic accident unfolded.

Mr Gibson had been driving around on his new farming toy, a Polaris off-road buggy, which he said was bought to transport wood around the property.

Olivia died after the off-road buggy she was riding in rolled on a property in Gippsland. Picture: Tony Gough

Minutes later, seven children all piled on for a joy ride on the four-seater without helmets before it hit a rabbit hole and flipped on to its roof.

Ms Stevens said it was still unclear how the family could have had such a lapse in judgment, describing them as “lovely” people.

“We have been really good friends, Olivia has had many play dates there before and nothing has ever happened,” she said.

“When I left the house I never thought anything like this could happen as Abbey was always quite cautious. I didn’t know they were going to take the kids on a ride.

“The whole thing is just devastating because we were forming such a wonderful friendship.

“I love the family, it is not like I hate them, but it is hard to face them right now. I don’t know if I will ever be able to. I know they are distraught, too, but sorry doesn’t cut it.”

Olivia with her brother, Kobi.

Due to legal proceedings the two families have been unable to contact one another since the fateful day, but mum Abbey Gibson wants the Stevens’ to know her entire family was “devastated”.

“We are just so sorry, it was a terrible accident,” Ms Gibson said.

“We did everything we could to save Olivia. We are just absolutely heartbroken.

“Our daughters were best friends, we loved Olivia. We have always loved that family.”

Ms Gibson said the accident would have ramifications on both families for the rest of their lives.

“All the kids are heartbroken,” she said.

“We haven’t slept, we haven’t eaten. Damien hasn’t got off the couch, I wish there was something I could do for him.”

Mr Gibson, 33, is a doting dad of five and well-respected businessman in Gippsland.

He is the third-generation managing director of reputable fertiliser company Gibson’s Groundspread, which has deep relationships among hundreds of farmers within the region.

Scott Stevens with son Thomas, Olivia, Kobi and mum Yana in June 2021.

Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives have charged him with culpable driving, dangerous driving causing death, reckless conduct endangering life and recklessly cause injury.

He faced the Sale Magistrates’ court via videolink on Monday and will return to court in January for a committal mention.

Ms Stevens is grateful for the paramedics who worked on her daughter for long enough at the scene so she could say a final goodbye before she was taken away in an air ambulance, which is where she passed away.

“They did everything they could, they fought so hard for her,” she said.

“I feel like she was waiting to hear my voice, that’s why she was fighting til then and after that she went.

“I really wanted to see her and told her how much I loved her and that she is a fighter and that she could do it. I got to kiss her and hold her one last time.

“The paramedics never let her hand go.”

Olvia’s mum says she was so full of life and wanted to be a dentist when she got older.

Olivia’s colourful bedroom is now a sanctuary for the Stevens family to reconnect with her when her death becomes too much.

Showing remarkable strength, Ms Stevens wants Olivia to be remembered as a cheeky, sassy girl who had a bright future.

“She was so full of life, she was so much fun,” she said.

“She wanted to be a dentist like her mum. She loved gymnastics, tennis, music, swimming. “She loved drawing. She loved the environment and animals.

“We had so much planned, so many dreams and we are just realising it has all crashed.

“She wanted to get married, have children, she knew what she was going to name them. The hardest part is realising there is no future with her, none of this isn’t going to happen.”