Australian Rebecca Olsen, son Charlie killed in horror US crash

The victims of a devastating head-on crash in California this week have been identified as an Australian and her teenage son.

An Australian mother and her teenage son have been identified as the victims of a horrific car crash in the Californian city of San Jose this week.

Rebecca Olsen, 47, and son Charlie, 14, died when a speeding ute driving on the wrong side of the road slammed into their Tesla on Highway 85 on Monday, US time.

Ms Olsen was originally from Australia, and Charlie was born in the UK, according to his father Cameron Olsen – Ms Olsen’s ex-husband.

Mr Olsen, also an Australian, told news.com.au his son was “the smartest kid in the world”.

“My life has been destroyed,” he said.

Charlie and his mum Rebecca Olsen died in a horrific crash in San Jose.

Mr and Ms Olsen were both from Brisbane and moved from the UK in 2004.

The family then uprooted to America 12 years ago to work and settled in San Jose where Mr Olsen works in the tech industry for Apple.

The grieving dad said Charlie was a bright student who recently started at Summit Tahoma High School in San Jose, and had been “raving about” his studies.

His son had passed an exam to skip a year ahead in maths but did not know that before he died, Mr Olsen said.

Ms Olsen and Charlie were well travelled, having spent last Christmas in Antarctica, which Mr Olsen said had been a “trip of a lifetime”.

Charlie was remembered as an intelligent, worldly teen.

The father and son also went on holiday in Europe just last month, with Mr Olsen noting his boy woke up early to watch the UK election results.

“He was very, very unique (and yes, I know most parents say that),” he wrote on social media.

“He was my best friend, my travel buddy and the only person I ever truly felt at home with.”

Mr Olsen said he, Charlie and Ms Olsen had met up to celebrate her birthday just eight days ago on August 22, adding the parents were still close six years after their divorce.

He told news.com.au he last saw Charlie on Friday: “He was super happy”.

“I feel like every minute is an hour and every hour is a day and every day is a week. It’s a daze. I had formally identify Charlie today at the coroners (via photo). The crash badly damaged him and I haven’t stopped crying since.

“Charlie was remarkable. Spoke multiple languages. Knew politics systems inside out. Went to 7 continents by 13.”

According to news reports in the US, California Highway Patrol said they had received reports of the Toyota travelling in the wrong direction on the highway before the collision.

The driver has been identified as Duncan McQuarrie from Orlando, Florida, CBS News has reported.

The crash scene on Highway 85. Picture: ABC US

He suffered major injuries and authorities and was taken to hospital.

No charges have been laid, but CBS News reports police on Tuesday said they would be recommending felony manslaughter charges to the district attorney.

Footage broadcast by the American ABC shows the white ute driving at speed in the wrong direction on the busy highway.

Witness Normi Juarez told the network she was driving around 110km/h “but the truck was driving faster”.

Images from the scene showed the extent of damage to the Tesla carrying Ms Olsen and Charlie, with the car left largely destroyed.