South Australian police officer, mother killed in crash

South Australia’s Police Commissioner fights back tears while announcing death of colleague and ‘dear friend’.

SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens pauses during a press conference about the fatal accident that killed his colleague yesterday.

A senior South Australian police officer killed in a three car crash in Adelaide has been described as one of the force’s finest, while another victim has been remembered as a loving mother.

Detective Chief Superintendent Joanne Shanahan, 55, and Tania McNeill, 53, died in the Urrbae crash on Saturday afternoon.

Det Chief Supt Shanahan had been a passenger in a car driven by her husband Peter, a retired police detective, who was taken to Royal Adelaide Hospital with with non-life-threatening injuries.

Ms McNeill, a mother-of-one, had been driving alone.

A 20-year-old man driving the third vehicle was also taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

SA Police Detective Chief Superintendent Joanne Shanahan died in a car crash in Adelaide.

SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens held back tears on Sunday as he told reporters Det Chief Supt Shanahan was a “dear friend”.

“Sadly, the real tragedy of road fatalities has been brought home to South Australia police yesterday when we lost one of our finest senior police officers,” he said.

The mother-of-two joined the force in 1981, had been awarded a police medal last year and was highly respected leader, he said.

Tributes are left at the fatal crash scene where Chief Superintendent Joanne Shanahan and Tania McNeill were killed. Picture: Nick Clayton

“Not only have we lost a beautiful person, but we’ve lost an officer with a wealth of knowledge,” he said.

Ms McNeill’s family released a statement, saying words could not describe the pain they were feeling.

“Tania was a loving, vibrant lady who enjoyed a good laugh,” the said. “She was a kind and loving mother, wife, daughter and sister, who would do anything for anyone.

“Tania’s loss will be deeply felt by so many forever.” Major crash officers are investigating and appealing for witnesses to contact police.

The loss comes after a tragic week for police in Victoria, where four officers were killed during a drug stop on a Melbourne highway when they were hit by a refrigerated truck that veered into an emergency stopping lane.

The Weekend Australian yesterday revealed investigators were probing whether the police were targeted in a deliberate act.

AAP