‘We’re her voice’: Model’s tragic final words to mum before horror crash

The parents of model Elise Hodder, 24, who was killed by a car at a birthday party have revealed the heartbreaking final words she said before her tragic death.

The parents of a young model who was killed after being hit by a car at a rave in Melbourne’s east, have shared the tragic final words she shared before her tragic death.

At 24 years old, Elise Hodder was working as a lifeguard but was already a successful model, being printed in a six-page spread in New York-based magazine Vanguard.

The Clifton Hill girl was celebrating a friend’s birthday in Sir Zelman Cowen Park in Kooyong on October 13, 2024, when she was struck by a car and died at the scene.

Elise Hodder was killed after being struck by a car at a party in Kooyong. Picture: Facebook

The driver, Connor Mathiasson, 23, was allegedly trying to reverse when he hit the accelerator and crashed into three pedestrians, including Elise and her friend, who sustained serious injuries, while a third was uninjured.

“For any parent – any mother, any father – not to be able to protect their child … is really devastating,: dad Michale Hodder told A Current Affair.

Elise’s mum Pauline Courtney dropped her daughter off at the party in the Kooyong park, and recounted the final thing Elise told her mum.

“As we were driving there, Elise looked me, looked at me, and said, ‘You’re really, you’re a really special mum, I love you so much’,” Pauline said.

”And then within hours, we have the police at our front door.”

The Melbourne woman was working as a lifeguard and was a promising model. Picture: Instagram

The model had just landed her first six-page spread in a New York fashion magazine. Picture: Facebook

Five months after Elise’s death, the 23-year-old who was behind the wheel of the car pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing serious injury.

At the time of the offence, police allege he did not have a valid license, had blown the legal alcohol limit and had drugs in his system.

However, he pleaded not guilty to alternative charges of culpable driving causing death and negligently causing serious injury, which Ms Courtney said would cause further distress to the family.

“We’ve not only got the first layer trauma of our daughter being killed, we have the secondary trauma that will last us 12, 18 months of constant court appearances,” she said.

With no relevant prior criminal history, Mr Mathiasson was granted bail after his dad paid the $100,000 surety.

Elise’s parents Pauline and Michael have urged for more to be done for families of victims. Picture: A Current Affair/ Nine

In the wake of their daughter’s death, Pauline and Michael are demanding changes be made to the court process, allowing families to share their victim impact statements during the bail hearing.

Currently, families and victims are only able to provide a formal impact statement after someone has been convicted.

“My daughter has no voice. She’s been killed,” Ms Courtney told A Current Affair.

“We’re her voice and we would have put forward our concerns.”

Mr Hodder, who works as a consultant with the state government, said he couldn't access an advisory committee to make changes in the justice system.

“We’re fighting to survive and come to terms that our girl’s lying in the coroner’s court … immediately it became evident to me, as we battled our way through this trauma and this catastrophic event, that we were not in the first carriage in relation to justice,” he said.