Tonkin Highway crash: 17-year-old boy killed, two other teens injured after car crashes into tree in Martin

A 17-year-old boy has been killed after the car he was a passenger in lost control and slammed into a tree, leaving yet another family in mourning in a year marred with tragedy on the roads. Police say the teen was a passenger in a red Mitsubishi Magna sedan when it veered off Tonkin Highway, near Gosnells Road East, rolled and hit a tree about 1.40am on Thursday. The force of the crash was so severe the car was left a crumpled mess, trapping the teenager inside. Despite the best efforts of emergency service personnel, he could not be saved and died of his injuries at the scene. The 19-year-old driver of the car was taken to Royal Perth Hospital with minor injuries. Another passenger, also 19, was uninjured. Major crash officers spent Thursday morning examining the scene to piece together the cause of the crash. Tonkin Highway southbound, between Gosnells Road West to Mills Road in Martin was closed as they carried out the investigation. Crumpled wreckage of the sedan could be seen in the shrub, with major crash investigators placing cones on the road, photographing, bagging evidence items and scouring the area for clues. Premier Roger Cook said it was another reminder of the impact of fatal crashes. “My understanding is it is a single car accident, a car that left the road, once again, we’re a reminder about the impact of these sort of accidents and crashes, and my heart goes out to everyone who’s impacted by that,” he said. “We’ve learned a lot from the road safety roundtable that we held. We’re looking to implement more of the ideas that came to that roundtable in the coming weeks and months. “But once again, it’s just a reminder to everyone that please take care on our roads. It hurts. It destroys lives, destroys family lives, and can lead to lifelong injuries. So please, everyone, take care on the roads.” The boy’s death came hours after a 16-year-old boy was injured in a motorbike accident on Wednesday night. Police said the teenager was riding a Kawasaki motorcycle about 9.10pm when he collided with a vehicle at the intersection of Cedric Street and Karrinyup Road in Stirling. The teen was taken to Royal Perth Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The latest death brings the number of fatalities on WA roads this year to 131 — the worst road toll in a decade. A Road Safety Summit earlier this month — that was called on by Premier Cook following a string of deaths — tabled several ideas on how to lower the road toll, including potentially tightening the restrictions P-platers have on them. “Young people are absolutely over-represented in the killed and serious injury data. But they’re not the only ones,” Road Safety Minister David Michael said. Police remain investigating the circumstances of the fatal incident and urge anyone who saw the crash, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via www.crimestopperswa.com.au Dash-cam or mobile phone vision relating to this crash can be uploaded directly to investigators via this link. If you or anyone you know has been affected by a road crash, contact Road Trauma Support WA on 1300 004 814.