Commuter chaos after dead body found on highway

A woman found dead on a busy arterial highway has caused traffic chaos as police search for clues.

A major arterial highway has been shut down by police in Perth’s northern suburbs this morning after a woman was found dead. Picture: Google

A major arterial highway has been shut down by police in Perth’s northern suburbs after a woman was found dead.

Police made the startling discovery about 1am on Wednesday, near Wanneroo Rd and Nollamara Ave in Balcatta in the city’s north.

A large stretch of Wanneroo Rd between Morley Dr and Sylvia St was closed down by police as investigators assessed the scene.

A large stretch of Wanneroo Rd between Morely Dr and Sylvie St was closed down by police as investigators assessed the scene. Picture: Google

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said a group of people had found the woman and were calling police when officers arrived.

“Clearly, it’s very disruptive this morning for road users, but we’ve blocked off the entire road because we’ve got homicide and major crash down there,” Mr Blanch said.

“It’s too early to tell what has happened, but certainly, we’ve got massive resources down there to determine who is involved and what has occurred.”

Mr Black told The West Australian it was too early to “speculate” about the cause of death, with one theory being that it could have been a hit-and-run.

CLEARED Traffic flowinghttps://t.co/ETqIzXZHcC

— Main Roads WA (@Perth_Traffic) October 4, 2023

Police were seen combing through the street on Wednesday, with officers also appealing for anyone with CCTV of dashcam footage to come forward.

The government-run Major Roads WA reported the closure of Wanneroo Rd at Amberley Way, with traffic being diverted while emergency services were on-site.

By about 11.30am on Wednesday, the agency reported that traffic was once more flowing on the road, with motorists advised to proceed with caution.

Originally published as Commuter chaos after dead body found on highway