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Dangerous start to long weekend on WA roads

Daryna ZadvirnaThe West Australian
VideoTwo 27-year-old women killed in two-car collision on WA Day weekend. Motorbike rider killed in Quinns Rocks.

Three people were killed and three more ended up in hospital following four separate crashes on WA roads.

In a horror start to the long weekend, two women, both 27, died after a 4WD smashed into their car in Cooloongup on Friday night.

The driver of the 4WD was arrested but his passenger was still being sought by police on Saturday night.

Police said a white Landcruiser collided with a beige Nissan Micra that was turning right into Grange Drive from Ennis Avenue about 7.40pm on Friday.

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Eyewitness Sunil Kumar speaks to the media.
Camera IconEyewitness Sunil Kumar speaks to the media. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The Sunday Times

The Nissan’s driver, a woman from Success, was taken to Rockingham Hospital but died shortly after. Her passenger, a Cooloongup woman, died at the scene.

Sunil Kumar, who witnessed the incident just seconds before he had been waiting at the same intersection with the women in the Nissan, yesterday said his heart was still racing and hurting from what he saw.

“I see both girls were smiling when I was on another car, and then after a few seconds ... all gone,” he said.

The 31-year-old was on his way home from work, waiting at the traffic lights with the Nissan.

“I started driving when the lights went green —I went first and their car was behind me,” he said.

As the Nissan was turning, Mr Kumar said a 4WD came flying out at about 100km/h from the left and slammed into the passengers side of the Nissan.

“It was really bad, really horrible,” he said.

“If I was behind them, it could’ve been me.”

Another witness said the crash sounded like a “big explosion”.

One woman laid some flowers for the victims on behalf of her sister, who witnessed the horrific crash but was still too shaken to come back to the scene.

“I'm laying these for her,” Maria said.

“She heard it, saw it — she's reliving it.

“She said she couldn't stop and help .... it's really sad.”

The driver of the Landcruiser, a man in his 50s, failed to stop and was later captured by police.

Witnesses said he was arrested in a nearby McDonald’s car park about 10 minutes after the crash.

The man was taken to Royal Perth Hospital and was last night assisting police with their inquiries.

Two vehicles collided near the intersection of Ennis Avenue and Elanora Drive in Cooloongup.
Camera IconTwo vehicles collided near the intersection of Ennis Avenue and Elanora Drive in Cooloongup. Credit: 7NEWS Perth

His passenger, not believed to be injured, fled the scene.

The third person to die on WA roads this weekend was a male motorcyclist in his 30s who crashed in Quinns Rocks, in Perth’s far north.

The accident, on Belhaven Terrace, occurred just before midnight on Friday. The rider died at the scene.

In another accident, a 19-year-old man was taken to RPH early yesterday after the vehicle he was in careered off Great Eastern Highway, near the intersection of Darlington Road, smashed into a tree and caught on fire.

Outside of Perth, two people had to be airlifted to RPH following a crash at Allanson, near Collie, on Friday night.

The male driver suffered chest and head injuries, while his female passenger had spinal injuries.

Police Minister Michelle Roberts said the road carnage had made an “absolutely devastating” start to the long weekend.

Ms Robertsalso urged the passenger of the 4WD involved in the fatal crash, to come forward, as police were on a manhunt yesterday.

“You have to own up,” she said. “How can you live with yourself if you haven’t rendered assistance?

“To the parents of those girls and to their family and friends, it’s incomprehensible.”

Ms Roberts said people needed to be more cautious for the rest of the WA Day weekend.

“Only on Thursday, I was standing there ahead of the long weekend asking people to drive courteously on the roads, to take care, to be aware of the weather conditions which make it more hazardous on the roads,” she said.

“To now find that we've got three people deceased in the last 24 hours, and others seriously injured, is just tragic.”

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