‘A nice bloke’: 16-year-old L-plater among horror Easter toll

A much loved South Australian high school student is among an astonishing 13 lives lost on the nation’s roads over the Easter holiday period.

The tight-knit community of Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia was grief-stricken on Easter Sunday after 16-year-old Johnny Howieson tragically lost his life in a car accident.

Jonny, who was on his L-plates, crashed his Honda station wagon into a tree on Lake Plains Road near Langhorne Creek about 2.35am that morning.

The community has remembered Johnny Howieson as a talented athlete and a good student. . Picture: Facebook

Emergency services arrived at the scene, where Mr Howieson was pronounced dead.

Jonny was a beloved member of the community, known for his academic prowess, athletic abilities, and friendly nature.

His classmates at Eastern Fleurieu School were shocked to hear the news of his passing. One classmate described Mr Howieson as “a nice bloke – always down for a chat.”

Another said, “He was one of the brightest kids at school. He was good in class, and he would help with anything.”

A 16-year-old learner driver from South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula community died in a car crash on Easter Sunday. Picture: 7NEWS

Mr Howieson’s death marks the 43rd road fatality in South Australia this year. Picture: 7NEWS

The community is devastated by Mr Howieson’s loss.

Mayor of Alexandrina Council Keith Parkes expressed his condolences and sympathy for Mr Howieson’s family and friends.

“I can’t imagine the grief and sadness the family and friends must be experiencing. Very sad to lose a young life at any time,” he said.

Police are now investigating why the teenager was alone in the car though under law, learner drivers must be accompanied by full licence holder.

Unfortunately, Mr Howieson’s death adds to the rising number of road fatalities in South Australia this year. As of now, there have been 43 deaths, compared to only 20 at the same time last year.

The Easter weekend alone saw 13 fatalities on the nation’s roads, sparking police to urge holiday goers extra care heading home from the long weekend away.

The holiday period saw a string of fatalities and incidents across the country.

On Friday, four people lost their lives in a collision between two utes on the Barton Highway at Jeir, 30km southeast of Yass near the NSW-ACT border.

The deaths included the couple Dianne Perry, 52, and Craig Perry, as well as the driver and a rear passenger of a Ford Ranger, both of whom were in their 20s.

Another man in his 20s was taken to the Canberra Hospital in a critical condition.

Later that day, a motorcyclist in her 20s lost her life in a collision with a car in Hernani, 30km west of Dorrigo in northern NSW.

The tragedies continued into the night when a 22-year-old man died in a single-vehicle collision between his hatchback and a stone wall at Oakville in Sydney’s northwest.

The scene of a fatal road accident at Copping in Tasmania. The Easter weekend saw 13 deaths on roads across the country, including six in NSW. Picture: Linda Higginson

On Saturday, a 27-year-old male quad bike rider died, and a 24-year-old male motorcyclist was flown interstate for hospital treatment after the two vehicles collided on the Finke Track, south of Alice Springs.

That same night, four men were involved in a single-vehicle rollover near Hermannsburg, 125km west of Alice Springs, killing one of them and seriously injuring three others.

On Sunday morning, a 59-year-old male driver of a Mitsubishi Pajero died after his vehicle left the Bussell Highway and hit a tree at Gelorup, 170km south of Perth.

In Queensland, a 22-year-old-man lost his life after a collision between his Ford Falcon sedan and a tree at Ebbw Vale, east of Ipswich.

Meanwhile, in Tasmania, a 26-year-old woman was charged with causing death by dangerous driving and other traffic offences following a fatal collision near Copping, 50km east of Hobart.