As it happened: WA news on Thursday, June 26

WA Police have just provided some more details on the fatal crash in Perth’s south-east on Wednesday night.

Major Crime Division detective superintendent Gary Saunders said police allegedly attempted to stop a 26-year-old man driving a Nissan Navara in Wattle Grove, and a short chase began.

But due to the “erratic” driving, including on the wrong side of the road, police ended that chase after less than a minute due to the risk being posed to public safety.

Then at the intersection of Tonkin Highway and Hale Road in Forrestfield, the driver allegedly failed to stop at a red light and crashed with a blue Ford Falcon, killing the driver and injuring a passenger.

The Nissan then spun out of control, struck a traffic light and then came to rest on top of a stationary police car that was not involved in the prior evade police incident.

No officers were injured.

“This is a very tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the victim’s family, friends and anyone that’s affected by this devastating crash,” he said.

“Another innocent life has been lost on our roads through the alleged reckless and dangerous acts of another driver.”

We’re bringing our blog to a close for the day, thank you for joining us.

Here’s some of the day’s headlines:

• One person has died and two have been rushed to hospital after a horror crash in Forrestfield, at the intersection of Hale Road and Tonkin Highway, just after 10pm on Wednesday night. A 26-year-old man has been charged with manslaughter, among other offences, after he allegedly evaded police and drove “recklessly” before the crash.

• Trains were cancelled between Claremont and Fremantle this morning, after what WAtoday understands was a fire in the brake unit of a Transperth train near Victoria Street station.

• The Perth Heat baseball team has announced it is exiting the national competition, but the league has thrown the club a lifeline, offering to operate it for the coming season until a new licence holder could be found.

• Virgin Australia’s inaugural Perth to Doha flight, in alliance with Qatar Airways, has taken off today, in the midst of a tumultuous time for air travel. It was unfortunate timing for the new route, given a Qantas flight to Paris, which stopped in Doha, was turned around earlier this week after Iranian airstrikes on a US base in Qatar.

• Some of Western Australia’s unique reptiles have been rescued from smugglers who were attempting to send them interstate through Perth Airport, and two men have been sentenced in court over the offending.

• New coach Joe Montemurro will get his first taste of life in the Matildas hot seat when he takes the reins for tonight’s clash with Slovenia at Perth’s HBF Park.

Thank you again for tuning in today, we’ll see you back here tomorrow for more news you need to know.

Virgin Australia’s inaugural Perth to Doha flight, in alliance with Qatar Airways, has taken off today, in the midst of a tumultuous time for air travel.

Passengers will travel on Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777 aircraft.

Virgin Australia chief executive Dave Emerson the flights marked the beginning of a new era for Virgin Australia and for international travel from Australia.

“We’re opening the world to millions of Australians, delivering more choice, better value and a seamless global experience,” he said.

Qatar Airways Group chief executive Badr Mohammed Al-Mee said the partnership was a “culmination of many months of meticulous planning and tireless dedication”.

The announcement comes just days after a Qantas Perth to Paris flight was turned around due to Iranian missile strikes on a US airbase in Qatar.

Returning to our earlier post from 8.44am about the Perth Heat leaving the Australian Baseball League – Baseball Australia has since thrown the team a lifeline.

In a statement, it was revealed it would operate the club for the coming season until a new license holder could be found.

Here is their statement:

As a beloved team that has been inspiring local players for many years, we are determined to ensure the Perth Heat remains a formidable team during this transition.

We are committed to delivering a successful ABL in 2025/26 and operating a four-team league for the upcoming season.

The ABL remains a cornerstone of the baseball landscape in Australia, inspiring the next generation to pick up a bat at their local club, providing great experience for fans, and as an essential high-performance pathway for our elite players.

But, we understand that a change to the model is needed.

Considerable effort has gone into addressing the ABL model and making the necessary improvements for the league to truly reach its potential.

The effort has been extensive, deliberate, and aligned with long-term goals, supported by a group of committed licence holders and stakeholders.

Game on.