Lucky escape for motorcyclist in crash

A MAN has escaped with just cuts and bruises after crashing the motorcycle he was riding on Pinjarra Rd early this morning.

The accident happened at about 3am in North Yunderup about 13km from Pinjarra.

The motorcyclist was not wearing a helmet and riding an unregistered trail bike.

He was taken to Peel Health Campus in Mandurah where he was treated for his injuries.

In a separate incident, a motorcyclist has received minor injuries this morning near Bunbury.

A car and motorbike crashed at the intersection of Vittoria Road and the Australind Bypass about 6.15am in Glen Iris.

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Mourning the loss of 'a lil champ'

TRIBUTE: Marnie Kelly lays flowers at the site on Gnangara Rd where a 13 year old boy died after being hit by a truck. Picture: Stewart Allen Source: PerthNow

THE teenage boy who was tragically killed on Gnangara Road yesterday had an "infectious, cheeky smile'' and a "beautiful nature'', his devastated family said today.

An outpouring of grief has enveloped the Henley Brook community as tributes flowed for 13-year-old Maxim Howard Ward, who was struck by a tip truck towing a front-end loader about 12.45pm on Friday.

A relative said the young boy was "dearly loved by everyone'' and "had an "infectious, cheeky smile,''.

Other family said they were devastated by the tragic loss, and said the truck driver was in their prayers. They also thanked two women who were the first to the scene.

"Our lil champ was just that, an absolute cheeky infectious champion,'' they said.

"His older brother (and) sis will miss him dearly and so will all his cousins who just cannot believe he won't be there not only for rest (of) these school (holidays)....

"Our prayers for the truck driver as well... thank (you) to the two ladies first at the scene, to the police (and) paramedics. Such a tragic accident....cannot describe what else to say. Rest in peace.''

Others said: "We will miss your beautiful nature, laugh and jokes. May you rest in peace little guy''.

Police said the young boy's 14-year-old sister witnessed her brother being struck by the truck as he ran back onto the road to retrieve his thong. Police do not believe the truck driver was speeding.

Fellow 13-year-old, Rebecca Schweikert, paid her respects at the crash site today, saying it could have been her because she had crossed the road at the same spot just three hours before Maxim was killed.

"It's just really, really sad considering being my age and you wouldn't think it would happen but it does,'' she said.

"I only crossed three hours earlier and it could have been me.''

Her mother, Carol Schweikert, said it was a "tragic accident'' that had rocked the tight-knit community.

"It is a 70km/hr stretch of the road and you do get the trucks,'' she said.

"As a community a lot of people are coming out with their respects... it just really hurts everyone especially at Christmas time and school holidays and the age of the child.''

Local resident Marnie Kelly fought back tears as she warned the community had feared someone would be hurt on the busy stretch of road.

She said "something has to be done about it before it happens again''.

"Nobody should have to bury their child,'' she said.

"It's just such a tragedy  I feel sorry for the family, the friends, the poor man that was driving the truck at the time.

"We don't have enough safe ways for the children to cross. It's 70km/hr along here  you see the vehicles going fast all the time. It happens instantly. It's just a tragic accident.''

Witnesses who saw the accident are asked to contact 13 14 44.

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Suspicious materials found at Fremantle home

OFFICERS from the Organised Crime Squad are investigating the discovery of potentially dangerous material in Fremantle.

Just after 1pm, police received a report that suspicious objects had been found near a house in Quarry Street.

Police attended the scene, where piping and plastic containers were discovered along the fence line of the house.

The investigation is continuing.

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Roads reopened near suspicious Swan fire

PerthNow reader Andrew Butler took this picture of helitacs fighting a fire burning in grassland near Middle Swan and Stratton. Source: PerthNow

PerthNow reader Brendan Jeans took this picture of the smoke haze coming from a fire burning in grassland near Middle Swan and Stratton. Source: PerthNow

ABOUT 20 hectares have been burnt from a fire in grassland near Stratton and Middle Swan that authorities believe may have been deliberately lit.

Three helitacs have helped fire crews to fight the blaze, which has been contained to an area north of Roe Highway, between the Great Northern Highway and the railway line.

The fire, which was reported just before 11am, is now contained and controlled.

A bushfire advice issued by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services remains in place this afternoon and motorists are warned to take caution when driving through smoke an areas of low visibility.

DFES advises people living in the area to watch for signs of a bushfire, especially smoke and flames, and to close all doors and windows, and turn off evaporative air conditioners but keep water running through the system if possible.

All roads around the fire that were closed are now open again.

This evening, more than 40 fire fighters were battling the blaze and three helitacs are helping to strengthen containment lines and track the fire.

WA Police and the City of Swan are also attending the fire and fire crews will remain at the scene overnight.

The cause of the fire is suspicious and people are asked to report any suspicious behaviour to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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True blue Jesinta caps a great day

Australian model and TV personality Jesinta Campbell wearing the Australia Day trucker hat. Picture: Sam Ruttyn Source: PerthNow

SHE knows what it's like to have the universe at her feet, but on Australia Day there's nowhere else Jesinta Campbell would want to be.

The former Miss Universe Australia will celebrate the national holiday on January 26 with friends and family.

And to show her pride at being true blue  and to keep her safe in our glorious sunshine  she'll be sporting The Sunday Times trucker's cap, emblazoned with the national flag.

"My ideal Australia Day involves getting up in the morning, going for a walk along the beach and going for a big swim, then setting up a picnic rug in the park," she said.

"Australia Day is about celebrating your community and your friends and family.

"I'll probably come down to the beach, put my bikini on and chuck a steak on the barbecue."

The popular 21-year-old TV celebrity said the national celebration was a great time to reflect on how lucky we are to live in Australia.

"It's so beautiful and we have everything  the sun and the surf and the beach," she said.

"I've done a lot of travel and have been to Third World countries and we have it so lucky here."

Modelling The Sunday Times' Australia Day Aussie flag mesh cap, Campbell said the new look was fit for a supermodel. "It's a pretty cool style," she said.

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Fears ease over Cyclone Narelle

Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle at 5:45pm on Friday January 11. Picture: BOM Source: PerthNow

CAPTURED ON FILM: Spectacular weather patterns are forming off WA's northern coast as Tropical Cyclone Narelle closes in. Picture: Sam Woodcock. Source: news.com.au

West Australians have witnessed a wild dust storm off the coast of Onslow as they brace themselves for tropical cyclone Narelle

FEARS about the potential impact of Cyclone Narelle on Western Australia's north are easing, although the category four storm is continuing to move closer.

According to the latest update from WA's Department of Fire and Emergency services, an all-clear was issued for Roebourne, Wickham, Point Samson, Karratha and Dampier in the state's far north.

A blue alert remains for people in or near the coastal and island communities from Mardie to Coral Bay including Onslow, Exmouth and Coral Bay.

At 5:45pm, Cyclone Narelle was estimated to be 475 kilometres north-northwest of Exmouth and 790km north of Carnarvon, and moving southwest at 12km/h.

Gales with gusts to 100km/h could develop in coastal areas between Mardie and Exmouth later on Friday, then extend south to Coral Bay on Saturday, forecasters are warning.

Winds are likely to increase in the Exmouth area on Sunday, with damaging wind gusts to 125km/h possible if the cyclone tracks closer to the coast.

Although winds near the cyclone centre may reach 275 km/h, these winds are not expected on the coast.

Gales may extend south to Carnarvon and Shark Bay on Sunday and Monday.

Widespread heavy rainfall is not likely, however isolated heavy falls can be expected along the Pilbara coast.

Tides along the west Pilbara coast are also likely to rise above the normal high-tide mark tonight and on Saturday, with flooding of low-lying coastal areas possible.

Motorists travelling on the North West Coastal Highway are asked to avoid entering the Shark Bay area.

People travelling to Coral Bay this weekend should contact their accomodation provider before they leave to ensure their booking is still current.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle is the second cyclone of the season after Tropical Cyclone Mitchell in December but is likely to be the first to have an impact on the WA coast.
 

Resources industry takes precaution

Earlier, WA's multibillion-dollar resources industry already reacted, with iron ore ports at Cape Lambert and Dampier due to close, and Apache closing down the Stag and Van Gogh oil fields on Thursday.

Chevron is also getting ready to evacuate workers from Barrow Island.

Thunderstorm activity will increase about the Pilbara coast today with isolated heavy rainfall and squalls possible. This activity will extend into the western and southern Gascoyne over the weekend.
 
Tides along the west Pilbara coast are likely to rise above the normal high tide mark tonight, and during Saturday with flooding of low lying coastal areas. A very dangerous storm tide is possible Saturday night if the centre of the cyclone passes close to the coast, however it is now unlikely to occur.
 
SES and VES volunteers from Roebourne, Wickham, Karratha, Exmouth, Coral Bay and Carnarvon are on standby.

WorkSafe WA Commissioner Lex McCulloch on Thursday warned companies on land and sea that it was crucial to be prepared.

"The worst thing people can do is underestimate the power of a cyclone. Seven people died as a result of Cyclone Bobby in February 1995, and three more lives were lost during Cyclone George in March 2007,'' Mr McCulloch said on Thursday.

Airlines, including Cobham and Qantas, are scheduling flights to evacuate workers from North West drilling platforms and mining sites.

Severe Tropical Cyclone (TC) Narelle has the potential to affect main arterial roads. Motorists need to revise travel plans and be prepared for significant diversions.
 
If travelling to and from the Pilbara, or the northern parts of the Midwest Gascoyne region, motorists are recommended to begin your journey as soon as possible.
 
Motorists travelling south on the North West Coastal Highway are asked to avoid entering the Shark Bay area.
 
MEANWHILE, in an unrelated weather occurrence, a huge wall of reddish cloud, topped off with billowing white rose up from the ocean.

Tug boat worker Brett Martin, who captured the fearsome pictures 25 nautical miles from the town of Onslow, reported conditions were glassy and flat before the storm hit late Wednesday.

But when the wild weather arrived, the swell lifted to two metres, winds increased to 40 knots and visibility was reduced to 100 metres.

Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Austen Watkins told media the stunning view was created as wind and rain caused the storm to dump the sand and dust it had ingested while passing Onslow.

The Pilbara region is an important resources hub, with major iron ore and gas facilities. Cyclones are common in northern and western Australia during the warmer months of summer.

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Man dies in quad bike accident

FATAL: A man has died in a quad bike accident 40km from Jurien Bay. Source: Supplied

A MAN has died in a quad bike accident north of Perth.

The man's quad bike rolled in Boothendarra, about 40km east of Jurien Bay, at 6.30am today.

Police are at the scene.

The man's age is not yet known.

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Fewer WA kids are taking ecstasy

DRUG STUDY:  The 2011 Australian School Student Alcohol and Drug survey found 4.1 per cent of young people used amphetamine-type stimulants, including ecstasy, in 2011 - down from 6.8 per cent in 2008 and eight per cent in 2005. Source: HWT Image Library

ECSTASY use in WA children aged 12 to 17 years has halved since 2008, new research shows.

A survey of 3771 12 to 17-year-old students, randomly selected from schools across the State, found the proportion of ecstasy use had dropped from 4.3 per cent in 2008 to two per cent in 2011.

The research was released today by Mental Health Minister Helen Morton to coincide with the relaunch of the Drug Aware ecstasy prevention campaign.

The survey also found a drop in amphetamine-type stimulant use, however there was no change in the proportion of students reporting use of at least one illegal drug in 2011 compared to 2008.

The Drug Aware campaign is the first ecstasy-specific effort, costing $138,000 a year to run.

Mrs Morton said the campaign would continue at a time when summer music festivals were ramping up.

"It's online, in print media, on billboards, it's highly visual," she said.

Mrs Morton said the campaign proved that by giving students all of the information available, they were more likely to make a healthier decision.

"When you actually get into the websites and hear the factual information about brain damage and about the psychotic illnesses, the delusions the psychoses and the depression, that's what's cutting through to the kids," she said.

"It's obvious they will make those informed decisions if they've got factual information."

Research done by the ChemCentre at Curtin University had found when people were taking ecstasy, they were often swallowing a cocktail of drugs.

The ChemCentre found in ecstasy pills anti-depressents, sinus medications, over the counter pharmaceuticals, and other illegal substances including synthetic drugs.

Mental Health Minister Helen Morton welcomed the new data, but said with the musical festival season under way it was important to remind young people about the dangers of pills sold as ecstasy including the fluctuations in purity, toxic effects of the substances and the severe harm they could cause.

"The same survey showed ecstasy use in WA had declined from 4.3 per cent in 2008 to two per cent in 2011, which is more than half in three years,'' Ms Morton said.

"There has also been a recent slight increase in hospitalisations for amphetamine-type stimulant use, which will be monitored for significant changes.''

The state government has relaunched its Drug Aware prevention campaign targeting teenagers aged 15 to 17 years.

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Police identify Rottnest Island severed-head victim

SEARCH: Det Sen Sgt Cameron Western of the Major Crime Squad speaks to media earlier this week about the discovery of a human head in a plastic bag at Rottnest. Picture: Kerris Berrington Source: PerthNow

A PERTH man has been identified as the person whose head washed up on a Rottnest Island beach earlier this week.

Major Crime Squad detectives said today that they had identified the man as a Perth resident, but his name has yet to be released because his family has not been located or told.

``WA Police Major Crime Squad have now established the identity of the deceased man by forensic methods,'' a WA police spokeswoman said.

"Major Crime Squad detectives are continuing their investigations into the circumstances surrounding the man's death.''

The human remains were wrapped in plastic and found by an 11-year-old girl who was walking along Porpoise Bay last Sunday.

The victim was described as being a Caucasian bearded male with no teeth. aged between 30 and 60.

The discovery is being treated as a murder, with police still keen to hear from anyone with information that may assist in the investigation asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
 

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Mother, unborn baby die in bizarre crash

A man arrested after a high speed crash at Woodville Park, Navarone Hutchins murder case and the crackdown on Hills hooning

POLICE have charged a man with allegedly causing the death of a pregnant woman in a bizarre road crash, but cannot lay an additional charge for the death of her unborn baby.

Despite both victims being added to the road toll, South Australian common law does not recognise the unborn baby as a person.

Attorney-General John Rau last night told The Advertiser  that he was concerned about the  issue.

"In common law, an individual does not exist until they have been `born alive'," Mr Rau said.

He added: "I have personally argued a case before the Supreme Court to extend the boundaries of this definition."

The crash scene at Woodville Park Picture: Channel Ten

The pregnant Woodville Park woman, 23, was left with critical injuries after the car in which she was a passenger crashed into a tree and Stobie pole on Radstock St, Woodville Park, about 7.15am yesterday.

She was rushed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital where she and her unborn baby both died.

The driver - a Woodville Park man, 31 - had allegedly fled the crash scene naked.

He was found by police a short time later and arrested.

At the time of the unborn baby's death, he had been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, leaving the scene of an accident and driving unlicensed.

With the mother's death the causing serious injury by dangerous driving charge was upgraded to causing death by dangerous driving.

Police said that only one death by dangerous driving charge would be laid over the death of the mother. The man  was refused bail and will appear in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday.

Superintendent Howard Davies said police were in the very early stages of the investigation, but would look to see whether alcohol and drugs were involved.

Anyone with information about the incident should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at www.sa. crimestoppers.com.au.

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