A 22-year-old man died after being struck by a car on the Mitchell Freeway in Perth's northern suburbs on Sunday evening. Police received reports of the incident around 7:20pm in the northbound lanes between Hepburn Avenue and Whitfords Avenue in Padbury.
Ambulance crews found the man with critical injuries, but he died at the scene. Police allege Michael Brendan Kane, 30, from Iluka, was driving a Toyota Corolla that struck the man and then left without stopping or reporting the crash.
Kane later reported to Joondalup Police Station and was arrested. He faced Joondalup Magistrates Court on Monday and was remanded in custody, with his next court appearance scheduled for July. He has been charged with failing to stop and ensure assistance after an incident occasioning death, and failing to report an incident occasioning death or grievous bodily harm.
The Mitchell Freeway northbound remained closed between Hepburn Avenue and Whitfords Avenue during Monday morning peak hour, causing heavy congestion, before reopening around 9am. Police are urging anyone with information or footage to contact Crime Stoppers.
The fatal hit-and-run occurred during a weekend that saw four other deaths in three separate accidents in regional Western Australia. On Saturday, a 30-year-old passenger died in a car rollover in Jingalup, and a 21-year-old woman died after her car hit a tree in East Pingelly. On Sunday, a 20-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl died in a crash in Dandaragan.
