School holiday period ends in tragedy with fatal crashes across the State, two men dead in the Mid West

Two men died on Mid West roads on the weekend in a horror end to the school holiday period. On Saturday, a 73-year-old man was killed when his white Holden Colorado dual-cab utility left North West Coastal Highway in Howatharra, between Geraldton and Northampton, about 10.30am. The vehicle left the road and struck a tree. The man’s injuries were so severe he died at the scene. The following day, a 62-year-old man driving a Ford Falcon on Indian Ocean Drive near Middleton Boulevard in Jurien Bay left the road and crashed about 7.20am. He also died at the scene. Major crash officers are investigating both fatal crashes and have asked anyone with relevant information to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. On Monday, July 8, an 18-year-old woman driving a Toyota four-wheel-drive was seriously injured when the vehicle rolled on Canover Road in Jurien Bay, and died the next day in hospital in Perth. Three children, aged between one and seven, sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the crash. So far in 2024, five people have died in road crashes in the Mid West-Gascoyne district, according to the Road Safety Commission. The WA toll so far for 2024 sits at 93, which is 14 more fatalities than at the same time last year when 79 people had lost their lives. Most of those deaths have occurred on regional roads (56) while 37 people have died on metropolitan roads. More tragedy struck in other parts of the State on the weekend, including the death of a 39-year-old motorcycle rider in an off-road accident about 50km south-east of Armadale. Two days before his birthday, 18-year-old Nick Campo died in another fatal crash on Saturday night, which left six other people in hospital. The South Fremantle football player was a rear passenger in a white Toyota Hilux ute when it crashed and rolled on Farrington Road in North Lake. The vehicle collided with a black Jeep Patriot SUV. People killed or seriously injured in the Mid West-Gascoyne 2014: 65 2015: 91 2016: 71 2017: 78 2018: 65 2019: 65 2020: 78 2021: 67 2022: 60 2023: 57