Adeliade crash: Tributes are made for Adelaide teenager Atem Kuany, who was killed in a horror crash outside the RAAF base in Edinburgh

Mourning classmates say the teenager, who was killed in a Holden Commodore crash outside an Adelaide airbase on Tuesday night, was a “special person” who was “loved by everyone”.

Atem Kuany, 17, was in the car with three others when police chased the malfunctioning vehicle and the driver reportedly refused to stop.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Friends and students pay tribute to Atem Kuany.

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Police were not chasing the car and had “lost sight” of it at the time of the crash, which ejected Kuany from the Holden Commodore outside the RAAF base in Edinburgh just after 9.30pm on Tuesday.

The driver and two other passengers, a 21-year-old Victorian man and an 18-year-old Elizabeth South woman, allegedly fled the scene, but all were quickly located before being transported to Lyell McEwin Hospital.

The driver was arrested after his release and will appear in court on Wednesday.

Kuany was “found lying on the ground next to the Holden”, according to police, who said he was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital with serious injuries and died shortly thereafter.

Friends praised his charisma and kindness, and family members laid flowers at the scene.

“He was just loved by everyone,” a classmate told 7NEWS.

“He always made everyone smile, he always made everyone laugh, there was nothing bad that could ever be said about him.”

“He was such a special person and you would never catch him without a smile on his face and he will definitely be missed,” said another classmate.

“We were all speechless, just crying, holding each other, being there for each other,” said another classmate.

Trinity College has offered student counseling for Kuany’s fellow 12th graders, as well as after-hours debriefings with staff.

“This sad and tragic event is every parent’s nightmare,” Trinity College said in a statement.

“Atem was a charismatic and popular student…a gifted writer with big plans to run his own business.”

The driver was denied bail and stood before Elizabeth Youth Court late Wednesday, charged with dangerous driving resulting in death, leaving the scene of a serious accident and numerous other traffic offences.

Kuany’s death increases SA road tolls for 2022 to 53, compared to 68 at the same time last year.

– With AAP