‘Drowning slowly’: Best friends die in Aveley, Perth crash

Harrowing details have been shared about a fatal crash that claimed the lives of two young women who were best friends.

Two young women called family members and screamed for help as they tried to escape a watery grave following a crash in Perth’s northeast on Sunday.

Best friends Nidhi Lalji Hirani and Ruxmi Premji Vaghjihani were heading to work at a deli in Ballajura about 6.40am when they turned right onto Gnangara Rd, Aveley, and for unknown reasons continued across the median strip into a lake.

The 20-year-olds died at the scene despite the efforts of those nearby, who came to their aid and tried to rescue them from the submerged Toyota Corolla.

The nursing students had only moved to Perth from Kenya around four months ago to study. They were staying with Ms Vaghjihani’s aunt and uncle.

Ruxmi Premji Vaghjiani, 20, died in the crash.

Nidhi Lalji Hirani, 20, died as well.

The uncle, KP Halai, woke up to a desperate call from the two girls who were screaming for help while trapped inside the car.

“She said, ‘Uncle we’ve got an accident and our car is in the pond and we are drowning slowly’ and I’m like, ‘Where exactly are you?’ and I told her to try to open the door or try to break the glass and she said we are trying but it’s not opening,” he told 7 News.

“As soon as I reached there I could hear them hitting the glass.”

The first person at the scene, who asked to be called Mr Singh, heard the two women screaming for help.

He quickly grabbed other nearby drivers, as he cannot swim and his phone had died.

“I stopped two or three cars and we grabbed a spanner,” he told The West Australian.

“I can see the girls starting to bang on the windows by that time.

“A gentleman who (could) swim, we give him the spanner to go and swim and break the glass.

“By the time he reached the car, in two or three minutes … it was too late, we could not smash the doors and get things open.”

The women died after three minutes after being unable to escape the car.

Witnesses could not rescue the two young women from their submerged car. Picture: 7 News

A family friend of the two girls, Dhanji Bhudia, had to deliver the tragic news to their parents.

“Obviously, they are in shock,” he told The West Australian.

“I was a little bit worried about how I would tell their parents … they went quiet for some time and obviously the mum started crying straight away.

“It was very, very hard to believe that they passed away and the circumstances.

“Even now we cannot understand that actually happened.”

The women were part of the Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Bennett Springs. Mr Bhudia did not know who was behind the wheel of the car but ruled out drugs or alcohol being involved due to the duo’s strong religious beliefs

“These two young girls, they were a very good part of the community and helped out with the temple and the community and were very well-mannered young women,” he said.

“These girls are very, very well mannered, no alcohol, no smoking, we are a very strict religious group.”

The women were studying in Australia after moving from Kenya about four months ago. Picture: 7 News

WA Police Inspector Craig Collins said police were still working to determine what happened.

“It‘s early stages of the investigation, we haven’t got anything other than we don’t believe there’s any other vehicle involved,” he said on Sunday.

“I believe there were people that tried to assist – unfortunately, due to the location, tragically, it was very difficult.

“Obviously, we’ve got a lot of lines of inquiry to undertake from here.”

A candlelight vigil was held at the scene of the crash on Sunday night, while there are plans to repatriate the bodies back to Kenya.

Major crash investigators are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with vision to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Originally published as ‘Drowning slowly’: Best friends die in Aveley, Perth crash