A CORONER has found the deaths of four young Aboriginal boys killed in a horror crash in 2008 were an accident.
Coroner Dominic Hugh Mulligan found Jeremy Nannup, 10, Benjamin Joseph Nannup, 11, Matthew Andre Indich, 15, and the driver of the vehicle, Quinton Brandon Humes, 17, were all killed after the car they stole earlier in the day crashed into a light pole at high speed on Pinjarra Road about 10pm on June 27, 2008.
Front seat passenger Gregory Beau James Pickett was the crash’s only survivor and told the coronial inquest the stolen vehicle had been rammed by a white car before the crash.
The Coroner said the five boys were playing video games at a home in Coodanup before leaving in a vehicle with the intention of going to a party in North Dandalup.
The car became bogged so the boys set it alight so any evidence in the vehicle would be lost and went in search of another vehicle.
The boys went to a property owned by farmer Marc Ross where only Mr Ross’ daughter and her boyfriend, Steven Doolan, were home.
One of the boys entered the kitchen of the home and stole the keys of Mr Doolan’s dark blue Holden Commodore before fleeing.
Mr Ross was at the Premier Hotel in Pinjarra having dinner with his wife when his daughter called and told him what happened.
Mr Ross and his friend Andrew Muscat got into Mr Ross’ wife’s white Daewoo Nubira station wagon and decided to follow the stolen car after it drove past along South Western Highway.
Mr Ross and Mr Muscat followed the Commodore heading west on Pinjarra Road.
The Coroner said Mr Muscat phoned the police to alert them of the stolen vehicle’s location and the route it was taking.
Mr Ross accelerated and pulled up alongside the stolen vehicle and waved at the occupants.
Mr Ross said the driver accelerated heavily and quickly left his vehicle behind but Mr Pickett said the driver of the white Daewoo Nubira rammed the Commodore causing Humes to panic and accelerate quickly.
The Coroner said the vehicle was being driven at high speeds by Mr Hume, who was affected by drugs and alcohol, before veering off the road and smashing into an aluminium street light.
The Coroner said there was not sufficient evidence to prove the cars had collided.
He said Mr Pickett’s various accounts of the events were not consistent with all details and in some matters he was intentionally dishonest.
The Coroner said Mr Ross’ evidence that he did not drive into the blue Holden Commodore seemed consistent with a man intending to protect the interests of his daughter’s boyfriend.
“There would not seem to be much benefit to either Mr Ross or Mr Doolan in having the blue Holden Commodore intentionally damaged by Mr Ross, when there was a chance it may later be returned to Mr Doolan little worse for wear,” he said.
He said he found the boys’ deaths arose by way of accident.