A 25-year-old man has died after his utility vehicle crashed into a power pole on Gingin Brook Road in Neergabby, about 90 kilometres north of Perth. The accident occurred at 10:20pm on Tuesday when the driver lost control on a bend, crossed onto the wrong side of the road, and went down an embankment before hitting the pole.
The man, from Seabird, died at the scene. A male passenger survived and was taken to hospital for treatment. Police are investigating the circumstances of the crash.
This fatality brings the 2017 road toll in regional Western Australia to 82, significantly higher than in previous years. The state's overall road toll stands at 129, with Perth road deaths among the lowest on record for this time of year.
In a separate incident, a 62-year-old woman from Woodvale is in critical condition after a high-speed crash near Perth's domestic airport. Her car left Tonkin Highway near the intersection of Great Eastern Highway in Ascot just after 7:00pm, travelling down an embankment and slamming into a tree.
The woman was cut from the wreckage and taken to Royal Perth Hospital. The crash occurred in a 100 km/h zone, and police are investigating why her vehicle left the road.
