WA road horror as man killed in Wheatbelt crash, another critically injured after car careens off bridge in SW

Hopes for a tragedy-free Christmas on our roads are gone after a driver was killed in a fiery crash in the Wheatbelt and a man was left with critical injuries after his car careered off a bridge in the South West. Boxing Day got off to a devastating start when emergency services were called on Brookton-Corrigin Road in Bulyee, between Brookton and Corrigin, after two cars collided about 9.50am. Sadly, one of the occupants of the cars died in the crash. Another person, an adult, was flown to Royal Perth Hospital by the RAC Rescue helicopter. They were in a stable condition on Thursday night. Two children were taken to Narrogin Regional Hospital with minor injuries. Photographs of the aftermath of the crash show the two vehicles reduced to mangled and charred wrecks. Just over two hours later, police, paramedics and firefighters responded to a crash in Collie, where a Hyundai Tucson sedan crashed through the railing of the Schultz Bridge into the river below. The 63-year-old driver was pulled from the water by members of the public and rushed to Collie Hospital with critical injuries. He was later transferred to RPH. The serious Boxing Day incidents followed another horror crash in the Perth Hills on Christmas Day. A 45-year-old woman was left fighting for her life after a crash in Greenmount about 4.15pm. Police say a grey Toyota Corolla hatchback and a silver Hyundai Santa Fe collided on Great Eastern Highway, near Old York Road, about 4.15pm. Two women — both a passenger in each one of the cars and aged 45 and 48, were rushed to Royal Perth Hospital with critical injuries. The 45-year-old woman remained in a critical condition on Thursday night. The 48-year-old was in a stable in the trauma unit. The 48-year-old male driver of the Santa Fe, and his two passengers aged 17 and 10, were also taken to hospital with serious injuries, however the driver is now considered to be stable. The 46-year-old man driving the Corolla suffered only minor injuries. The Bulyee crash brings the road toll to 181 so far this year — the worst in almost a decade. Speaking to reporters at Rottnest Island on Thursday, Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti reiterated pleas with motorists to take care behind the wheel. “As we keep saying, when people are moving from point to point, or trying to rush to get everything done, please have patience, please be careful on the roads,” she said. “We need to all be patient and make sure we can consider what is happening in our environment. “We need to make sure we can drive safely and get home to our loved ones.”