Horrific crash filmed by driver after ‘erratic’ rampage
The driver of the Landcruiser was thrown from the car before it burst into flames Photo: Kate Sheedy
Witnesses have filmed a horrific road rampage in Western Australia which has killed a 61-year-old mother and endangered dozens of lives.
The video shows a man appearing to deliberately drive a Landcruiser into an oncoming vehicle on the Bussell Highway at Capel, about 200km south of Perth, killing its driver and seriously injuring its 54-year-old passenger.
The driver of the Landcruiser, a 45-year-old Bunbury man, was thrown from his vehicle as it rolled and caught fire. He is in a critical condition in Royal Perth Hospital.
Horrified drivers on the motorway on Saturday afternoon saw the Landcruiser being driven erratically, much of which they recorded on mobile phones before seeing it slam at high speed into the oncoming car, a Toyota RAV4.
The green LandCruiser was travelling north in the southbound lanes of the dual carriageway at the time of the crash.
Watch the Nine report on the crash
The driver of the RAV4 has been named by local media as Jenni Pratt, who died at the scene.
Ms Pratt, who worked at Pilbara TAFE in Karratha in northern WA, has been remembered as a loving mother with an infectious smile, according to PerthNow.
A long-time friend told PerthNow that Ms Pratt “always saw the best in everyone”.
“She never hurt anyone,” she said. “She was never angry at anyone.
“She always so happy and bubbly. She had the biggest smile.”
Larz Erikssen was camping with friends at Wonnerup beach, south of Capel, and was driving to Busselton when they noticed the man hurriedly take off in his Landcruiser with a camping tarp hanging off the back of the car.
Jenni Pratt died at the scene. Photo: Facebook
He nearly rolled the car, took out signs, forced other cars off the road and had near misses while driving into oncoming traffic at high speed, and Mr Erikssen’s friend Dylan Mateljan rang police and started filming the Landcruiser.
“We followed just in case he did hit someone, I wanted to because of all those innocent bystanders and wanted to make sure that if he did hit someone they were out of the car and safe,” he told 6PR radio.
“It was very confusing, I have no idea what was going through his mind to actually try and hit someone, it is not natural.
“I was thinking please, please don’t hit someone, I hope to God no innocent people will die.”
Police are appealing for witnesses who saw the Toyota Landcruiser before the accident to contact them.
– with AAP
Twenty six whales dead after mass stranding
Thousands of WA teachers set to stop work over wages
Four dead in ‘heart-breaking’ crash
Death of boy, 10, under govt care a tragedy: Marles
Police search for man after ‘unknown vessel’ landing
