Ferguson crash: Driver, 37, dies after ute slams into tree near Bunbury marking 40th WA road death this year

A 37-year-old man has been added to the State’s rising road toll after a fatal crash in Ferguson in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Officers from the major crash section are investigating the incident which occurred in Ferguson, just outside Bunbury, on March 18 about 5.30am.

The 37-year-old man was driving a Mitsubishi Triton south on Ferguson Road when it left the road and collided with a tree.

The man died from his injuries at the scene.

Including his death, 40 people have now died on WA roads since the start of the year — two more than the same time last year and seven more than the five-year average.

Nineteen of these deaths have occurred on regional roads, and the 37-year-old is the eighth person to lose their life on WA roads since Friday.

WA Police acting road policing commander Mike Peters spoke to the media and said he was “deeply concerned” by the numbers.

He said the weekend’s crashes were all “completely avoidable” and pointed to the “fatal five” factors behind most road deaths — distraction, speed, drugs and alcohol, fatigue and not wearing seatbelts.

“It’s back to the community, to honestly, take responsibility before you get behind the wheel,” he said.

“We are on the highways, our safety camera program, our highway patrols and our road policing group, officers and regional officers are out doing road policing every single day, enforcing those fatal five issues.

“I can’t sit alongside you in your vehicle and make choices for you. That’s up to you.”

Tuesday’s crash is the second major crash to occur in the South West this year following a collision in Collie in late February which left a 71-year-old motorcyclist in a critical condition after being flown to Royal Perth Hospital.

Major crash investigators are conducting an examination of the Tuesday morning crash scene and are appealing for any witnesses to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report the information online at www.crimestopperswa.com.au.

Dash-cam or mobile phone vision relating to this crash can be uploaded directly to investigators via this link.

Road Trauma Support WA: 1300 004 814