Police have identified a man they say deliberately drove a four-wheel drive, at speed, the wrong way along a Perth highway, killing himself and three others.
The 43-year-old’s family was notified on Tuesday as the major crash unit investigated whether the collision early on Monday morning was a murder-suicide.
“That’s certainly part of the investigation and we may end up with that conclusion but it’s too early to tell,” WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said.
Taxi driver Sendeku Tesema, 58, and the mother and daughter, 81 and 56, he was transporting were killed when a Toyota RAV4 collided with the Toyota Corolla on Leach Highway near Perth Airport.
Loved ones are mourning the father-of-three and his former employer, Swan Taxis, is planning a fundraising barbecue for his family.
On Monday, police said the Rav4 driver made a “conscious decision” to travel in the wrong lane before the crash.
Police said he turned onto Orrong Road, entering the highway in the opposite direction, via an off-ramp. CCTV footage showed it flying past cars on the highway before the deadly smash.
“It’s not just a tragic event for that family, but also for the families of others involved,” Detective Senior Sergeant Hugh Letessier said.
“There’s four families who’ve been severely impacted by this.”
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