‘Tragic’: Harrowing details of deadly lake crash as female victims named

The identities of two young women killed in a horrific car crash have been revealed, after witnesses revealed harrowing details of their final moments.

The heroic efforts of nearby witnesses were not enough to stop the “tragic” deaths of two young women following a crash in Perth’s northeast on Sunday.

The Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Perth, where the two women were active, identified the victims as Nidhi Lalji Hirani and Ruxmi Premji Vaghjihani, both aged 20.

The women were heading to work in a white Toyota Corolla about 6.40am when they turned right onto Gnangara Rd, Aveley and for unknown reasons continued across the median strip into a lake.

Ruxmi Premji Vaghjiani, 20, died in the crash.

Nidhi Lalji Hirani, 20, died as well.

Both died at the scene despite passers-by coming to their aid and trying to rescue them from the submerged car.

“I was the first one to notice them and when I stopped I could see that they had tried to smash the windows, but they could not get it open,” a witness, who asked to be called Mr Singh, told 7 News.

It is unknown why the car drove into the lake. Picture: ABC News

Mr Singh was the first person at the scene and 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.”

He said the women called their roommate and begged him to come help them. He arrived at the scene within a few minutes.

Mr Singh said the harrowing ordeal ended after three minutes when the women died.

The women were hard screaming for help. Picture: 7 News

“I think it’s tragic that we could not pull this off and I never expected it would end up like this,” he told 7 News.

The bodies were retrieved hours later by police divers.

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.

The Toyota Corolla being retrieved from the lake. Picture: 7 News

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

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

Originally published as ‘Tragic’: Harrowing details of deadly lake crash as female victims named