Fitzroy Crossing community in grief over road crash deaths

A horror crash 30km from Fitzroy Crossing left the community reeling after claiming the lives of a baby boy and a woman last week.

Police believe the overloaded Toyota Land-Cruiser was carrying 11 people when a bird struck its windscreen, causing it to crash and roll on Tuesday last week around 8.30pm.

Six people were flown to Perth by the RFDS which scrambled aircraft from Meekatharra, Port Hedland and Derby to evacuate the injured.

Four adults and seven children, most of them from one family, were returning from a shopping trip to Derby when the vehicle crashed.

Fitzroy Crossing Sen. Sgt Trevor Evans said emergency service workers found a terrible scene and the small Fitzroy Crossing community would be greatly affected.

“It’s a tragedy for everybody,” he said. “It’s certainly difficult for my staff, difficult for all the emergency services people who had to attend and we’re just seeking the community to really take control of their situation and ensure that they don’t have 11 people in a vehicle that seats seven.

“There were a number of people from one family and that causes concern.”

Major crash officers launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.

The driver of the vehicle is due to appear in Derby Magistrate’s Court charged over the accident.