Meekatharra fatal crash: Friend speaks out about tragic end to nurse who came to Australia as asylum seeker

The 26-year-old man who was killed in a car rollover in the remote Murchison at the weekend was a nurse and an asylum seeker who had a desire to work in remote communities, according to a friend. Police were called to the crash scene on Neds Creek Road, about 200km north-east of Meekatharra, on Sunday and arrived at 12.20pm to find a man’s body in a LandCruiser. It’s believed the vehicle had rolled multiple times. A man who said he was friends with the victim told the Geraldton Guardian they came to Australia as asylum seekers in 2012. He said his friend was not granted a permanent visa from the Federal Government and was unable to bring his family to Australia. His mother and family live in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and were informed of his death on Tuesday evening, according to the friend. “I am scared to speak to his mum because she has been waiting the past 12 years for him to come back, he has been waiting for his visa. I can only imagine what she is going through,” the friend said. It’s understood the crash victim had been living in Adelaide and worked at Royal Adelaide Hospital. But he had recently expressed to his friend that he wanted to work in remote communities. It’s unclear where the nurse was currently working and where he was headed in WA’s north. “A couple of weeks ago he bought a LandCruiser from Perth so while working, he could explore the country,” the friend said. Officers from the major crash investigation unit flew to Meekatharra on Sunday and started their examination of the scene on Monday. So far this year, 81 lives have been lost on WA roads, including 39 in regional WA.