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Cloverdale crash: Mother and daughter among four killed on Leach Highway

A RAV4 travelling the wrong way on Leach Highway struck a taxi head-on in Cloverdale. Four people died; police said driver intent remained under investigation.
Entry272 Date Time2 min MechanicCarCody Team
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Four people died when a Toyota RAV4 travelling on the wrong side of Leach Highway collided head-on with a Toyota Camry taxi in Cloverdale, Perth, at about 3:40am on Monday, 13 January 2025. The victims were the RAV4 driver, the 58-year-old taxi driver and two taxi passengers, women aged 56 and 81 who were reported to be mother and daughter.

What happened in the Leach Highway crash?

The collision occurred near Abernethy Road in Cloverdale, close to Perth Airport. The RAV4 was travelling on the wrong side of the highway when it struck the south-west-bound Camry taxi head-on, according to contemporaneous reports from ABC News and PerthNow.

Who died?

All four people in the two vehicles died. They were the RAV4 driver, the 58-year-old male driver of the taxi and the taxi’s two female passengers, aged 56 and 81. The two passengers were reported as mother and daughter.

What did police say about the wrong-way driving?

Police said they had evidence the RAV4 driver consciously drove on the wrong side of the road. ABC News reported that police believed the vehicle had entered the highway via an off-ramp. Detective Senior Sergeant Hugh Letessier said: “We know what happened, and our investigation is now focusing on why, but I can’t answer that at this stage.”

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Was the crash deliberate, and what was known about intent?

Whether the driver intended to harm other people had not been established in the reporting from 14 January 2025. Police Commissioner Col Blanch said a murder-suicide conclusion might form part of the investigation, but added: “But it’s too early to tell.” A report of a conscious decision to drive on the wrong side is not, by itself, a confirmed finding about motive.

The cited coverage is contemporaneous reporting, not a final police finding, court judgment or coronial determination. It does not establish a later investigative outcome or the case’s status as of 8 October 2026.

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What was the road closure?

While Major Crash officers investigated, PerthNow reported that Leach Highway westbound was closed between Tonkin Highway and Orrong Road. That was the closure reported at the time of the crash, not an indication of current traffic conditions.

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What wider road-safety context was reported?

ABC News reported that 186 people died on Western Australian roads in 2024, describing the figure as the state’s highest road toll since 2016. That statewide figure is context only; it does not explain the cause of this collision.

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