Dalkeith fatal crash: Elizabeth Pearce remembered as ‘beautiful, intelligent and wonderful’

Elizabeth Pearce was a “beautiful, intelligent, wonderful person” who lit up the lives of many friends, who simply adored her. Several grief-stricken friends laid flowers at the spot on Birdwood Parade, Dalkeith, where the 24-year-old suffered fatal injuries on Saturday night. One of them, Taia Rodgers broke down in tears when paying tribute to her friend on Tuesday. “She was always so nice and would always check in on you,” she said. “It’s just so sad and just a big loss.” “She was so switched on, motivated and funny,” Courtney Gray told The West Australian. Ms Gray, who studied marine biology alongside Ms Pearce at the University of WA, said her friend was keen to pursue a career in mining. Ms Pearce had just finished a summer internship with Woodside, where her father worked for decades. “She was never anything but kind to me,” another friend posted online. “My heart absolutely breaks for her and her family. They are all such wonderful people and they didn’t deserve this.” Ms Pearce’s family said their world was shattered in a statement they released on Monday night. “Our beautiful, bright girl brought sunshine to our lives and we are now in darkness,” they said. Phillipa Brown, a former Dalkeith resident and doctor, laid flowers at the scene. She didn’t know Ms Pearce, but said what had happened was “just awful”. “We moved from Dalkeith to Swanbourne, but yeah, this is local.” It wasn’t the only connection. Shedding tears, she recalled her own narrow escape, after she was “t-boned” on her way to work at King Edward Memorial Hospital five years ago. “I spent months in Fiona Stanley Hospital,” she said. “I can’t remember any of it, and I haven’t been able to work since, and I won’t work again ... You can’t see my injuries, but believe me, I’ve got them.” Will Turner was around the corner at his parents’ home at 10.15pm on Saturday when the carnage occurred. A blue Jaguar sedan driven by obstetrician Dr Rhys Bellinge collided with a white Honda Jazz hatchback collided. Ms Pearce had just got into the passenger seat of the rideshare vehicle. “I saw the Uber and it must have been the Uber driver on a stretcher and he looked in a bad way,” Mr Turner said. “The driver of the Jaguar was distraught and very much crying and being consoled.” Police have charged Dr Bellinge with manslaughter and dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm, in circumstances of aggravation. The 25-year-old Uber driver remains in Royal Perth Hospital’s intensive care unit with critical injuries. A Uber spokesperson said they had “extended our deepest condolences to the victims and their families”. “This is a tragic and shocking occurrence, and we extend our deepest condolences to the victims and their families,” they told The West Australian on Tuesday. “We will be reaching out to them to offer our support where appropriate, and we are cooperating fully with the authorities as they investigate this incident.” Mr Turner said he often saw motorists speeding down Birdwood Parade and called for a roundabout installed at the intersection of Birdwood Avenue and Warratah Avenue, metres from the crash site. “Because houses are only on one side and it’s quite a wide road, people do tend to speed down here which is very risky because there’s lots of cyclists and pedestrians walking their dogs,” he said. “If they put a roundabout there I think that would really break up the speed ... I don’t think it’s going to solve everything but it might (help).”