Tributes are flowing for three young men – two of whom were fathers – who died in a horror crash in Perth’s south on Wednesday evening.
Father-of-two Kody Bell, 24, his younger brother William, 21, and 24-year-old father-of-two Jaziah Thomas, all died at the scene.
A triple-fatal crash has taken the lives for three young men in Baldivis, south of Perth.Credit: Nine News Perth
A fourth man was left with serious injuries after the car they were all travelling in collided with a Kia Stinger along Sixty Eight Road in Baldivis.
Jaziah’s partner Tamekah Locker posted an emotional tribute on Facebook to the “love of my life”.
“It still doesn’t feel real and I keep waiting for you to just walk through the door and it breaks me apart to know you’re not going to,” she wrote.
“You have been my whole world, my best friend and my person since we were 14 and I don’t know how I can live without you, I just want you to come home.
“Thank you for giving me our two beautiful babies they love you so much and I’m so sorry you won’t be here to see them grow up.
“I promise I’ll make you proud and do everything we spoke about for their future I know you will be watching over us all the time.”
William and Kody’s father thanked those who responded to the confronting incident.
“(I) just want to thank the people that assisted with that accident on Sixty Eight Road this evening,” he posted on Facebook.
“My family lost our two sons and another life was lost as well.”
Kody Bell was killed in a crash in Baldivis on Wednesda.Credit: Facebook
The four men were in a white Audi A3 driving west when they crashed into a blue Kia Stinger driving east about 5.05pm. Witnesses alleged the Audi was travelling at speed before the impact.
The 44-year-old woman driving the Kia Stinger received minor injuries. Officers from the major crash investigation unit are investigating the circumstances behind the collision.
One of the first people on the scene, Dee, who did not give her last name, told Radio 6PR she was walking her dog when she saw a white vehicle go past her “rather quickly” before hearing an explosion about 80 metres down the road.
“I ran straight to the scene, and it was horrific, it was absolutely horrific. It was like a war zone,” she said.
“I was with the driver and my friends were helping two of the passengers. It seemed like time went on and on and on waiting for first responders, the police and ambulance and fire brigade to come.
“It just felt like an automatic response. I had to be there, and I thought of nothing else but I wanted to keep this guy alive.”
She said while Sixty Eight Road was mostly straight, the crash had occurred on a small bend.
“It’s quite often that we hear cars using this particular highway as a racetrack. It happens all the time,” she said.
“You’ve got to slow down, you’ve got to make sure that you’re secure in the vehicle, and just take notice of road conditions.
“I don’t know how you get that message across. It’s just horrific to see family and friends after the event. Please slow down.”
WA Premier Roger Cook, whose Kwinana electorate neighbours Baldivis, said he knew the road well.
“These are old country roads that are becoming increasingly built up as the subdivisions around Baldivis take hold. So certainly, I think traffic management is something which needs to be considered in that precinct,” he said.
“Don’t do it. Life is too precious to throw away. Just because your mates are egging you on, that doesn’t mean that you can take the decision to participate in any sort of racing or any sort of games on the road.
“Cars can be deadly, they need to be treated with respect.”
Flowers have been left at the scene. Credit: Rachael Clifford
Any witnesses to the crash are asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report the information online at crimestopperswa.com.au.
Dash-cam or mobile phone vision relating to this crash can uploaded directly to investigators.
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The triple-fatal crash comes just days after the parents of a six-year-old boy died while riding a motorcycle along Pinjar Road in Tapping.
Paul Pearce, 39, and his passenger, 35-year-old Lynette Reader, crashed into a car on Sunday, leaving their family heartbroken.
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said police were investigating whether speed had been a factor in that crash.