The family of one of two teenage boys who died in a tragic accident in Wagerup has made the heartbreaking journey to the site, where they erected a memorial of cricket stumps and a bat.
They praised Ryleigh Land’s ‘heart of gold’, who loves cricket, and lamented that he was far too young when he died on Saturday afternoon.
Ryleigh was murdered along with his buddy, Dale Martin, during a horror movie in the small town of Peel.
Ryleigh, a 17-year-old former Kent Street Senior High School student, affectionately known as “Sauce” by his friends, was sitting in the passenger seat of his friend’s ute when it rolled off the South Western Highway shortly before 1:30 p.m.
It is believed that the 17-year-old P-plate driver behind the wheel of the vehicle lost control of the vehicle near the intersection of Marriott Road, and the car began to roll.
Despite desperate efforts by the police, ambulance, and fire brigade, both boys died on the spot.
Camera icons site of the fatal accident along the South Western Highway in Wagerup. Credit: Matt Jelonek/The West Australian
Ryleigh’s bereaved mother, Kelly Land, and brother Connor McDermott were among the grieving relatives who visited the accident site Sunday afternoon.
“He was so responsible…he was such a hard worker,” Ms. Lane told The West Australian.
“For 17, he was beyond his age…such a strong, resilient kid.”
Camera IconRyleigh Land’s family pays tribute to the teenager killed in a tragic car accident in Wagerup. Credit: Matt Jelonek/The West Australian
Connor described his brother, who played for Kent Street and Kenwick cricket clubs, as “cricket mad”.
He added that his brother was a “caring and well-behaved child”.
Camera IconThe family’s tribute to Ryleigh. Credit: Matt Jelonek/The West Australian
“He always knew how to put a smile on someone’s face,” he said.
“Fly high, brother; you will be missed. I want you to come home; I still don’t believe it’s real.’
The family built a memorial to Ryleigh out of cricket stumps and bats at the crash site and picked up some items left behind at the scene.
Shoes, keys, and a red P-plate were found among the rubble scattered along the South Western Highway.
Camera IconDebris can be seen at the scene of the fatal accident along the South Western Highway. Credit: Matt Jelonek/The West Australian
A woman who witnessed the aftermath described the scene as “horrifying” and said the road was extremely wet and flooded.
The tragic crash comes just weeks after a 15-year-old girl was killed in a head-on collision in Neergabby, about 85 km north of Perth, on May 28.
The teen was a passenger in a Subaru Outback driven by a 17-year-old P-plate driver heading west on Gingin Brook Road when he collided with a blue Holden Colorado traveling east on the same road, nearby from Cowala Road.
WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti described the crashes as tragedies.
“My condolences go out to the families; I experienced a family member killed in a car accident, which devastated the whole family. † † and friends,” said Ms. Saffioti.
“It’s a very, very difficult time.”
When asked whether WA could follow the example of other states by allowing novice drivers to spend more hours on the road before getting their provisional license, Ms. Saffioti said it was “difficult” for many young Western Australians seeking support. To drive under supervision.
NSW and Victoria require drivers to drive for 120 hours before being eligible for a provisional license. Learning WA drivers only need 50.
She pointed out, however, that the McGowan government is spending a record amount on the state’s road network, especially on regional road widening works.
“(Traffic trauma) is a tragedy. † † we will explore what else we can do to improve security, particularly in regional WA, where we are seeing a disproportionate number of people dying or being seriously injured,” said Ms. Saffioti.
“We do everything we can in the field of education, road widening (and) road safety. † † the impact of traffic trauma and death is very, very significant and impacts people for the rest of their lives.”
Major crash investigators are investigating the accident scene and calling on any witnesses to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333,000 or report the information online.
Dashcam or cell phone views related to this crash can be uploaded directly to investigators here.