North West Coastal Highway's 'notorious' Roebourne to Karratha section claims another two lives
Police, road safety advocates and grieving family members are calling for a "notorious" stretch of highway in Western Australia's north-west to be upgraded.
Two people were killed in a head-on collision outside Roebourne, 1,500 kilometres north-east of Perth, last Friday.
The crash occurred on the North West Coastal Highway which links Geraldton to Port Hedland and is frequently used by tourists, truck drivers and mining companies.
It comes two months after a pair of teenagers, 17 and 16, died in a crash while riding a motorbike on the same route.
Karratha Police Senior Sergeant Uwais Cuff said the section between Roebourne and Karratha was particularly dangerous.
"You get a lot of shift workers knocking off duty and that road becomes particular busy."
Senior Sergeant Cuff said works to widen the road and turn it into a double-carriageway had improved safety in recent years.
But road trains and seasonal influxes of grey nomad caravanners remained challenging.
"We're throwing everything at it," he said.
"[Officers] will be out in force with their radars monitoring speed and fatigue, any drug and alcohol driving as well."
The 29-year-old driver of a Toyota Prado, Koda Tahi Tahi, and a 21-year-old man died at the scene of last Friday's crash.
Police said they were continuing to investigate the incident.
Four other female passengers in the Prado were injured, with a 19 and 24-year-old flown to Royal Perth Hospital in a critical condition.
The daughters and niece of journalist and Roebourne resident Tangiora Hinaki were involved in the crash.
The driver of the Prado was Ms Hinaki's niece and her daughter, Manawa, was a passenger.
She is in hospital in a stable condition and is expected to recover from her injuries.
Ms Hinaki described her niece as a "beautiful, community-driven, joyous young woman" who had been involved with the local school and church.
She said her niece's death had a profound impact on the local community, her family and friends across Australia and overseas.
"I feel grateful for my three daughters that are still here with us Earth-side, but it's still very bittersweet because our beloved Koda is not here with us," she said.
"You want your children to outlive you."
More than five roadside tributes are visible along the 30 kilometre stretch of the North West Coastal Highway between Karratha and Roebourne.
The latest crash brings the number of road fatalities between Karratha and Roebourne to four in 2025 so far, compared with two for the entire of 2024.
Truck driver Heather Jones told ABC Pilbara the stretch was "very notorious" amongst transport workers.
Ms Jones, who sits on a national road safety committee, said driver education needed to be at the forefront of investment.
"We don't train well in cars, motorbikes or trucks, so we need to lift the driver training," she said.
"Yes, there's a cost to it in the beginning. But if we invested in the beginning we wouldn't have all the consequences and the trauma that that brings upon families.
In a statement, WA Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner said the commission was "saddened" to hear of the double fatality.
Mr Warner said that since 2020 the WA government had invested nearly $1.3 billion towards targeted road safety programs including "record investments on upgrading and delivering new road infrastructure".
The funding also included upgrades to more than 9,000km of regional roads.
Main Roads WA has been contacted for comment.
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