A tragic crash occurred on Monday, August 4th, 2026, near Shark Bay on the North West Coastal Highway, resulting in the deaths of a 60-year-old grandfather and the 45-year-old driver of a Toyota LandCruiser utility. The family's vehicle and caravan collided head-on with the LandCruiser.

The grandfather's partner, a woman in her 50s, and their 12-year-old grandson sustained life-threatening injuries. Both were airlifted to hospitals in Perth and remain in stable condition.

The crash caused the highway south of the Overlander to be closed for more than 24 hours during the peak tourist season, blocking access for travelers and truckers heading north to the Pilbara region.

Eyewitness Sandy Winkle arrived shortly after the crash and provided first aid, recalling, "In the distance, I could see a little bit of dust and then obviously there was a caravan in the bush." She added, "He was in a lot of trouble and I thought, 'He doesn't want to be here by himself.'" Reflecting on the incident, she said, "It was pretty traumatic, to be honest with you, but the message is, like, these sort of things happen in an instant."

The highway is gradually reopening following the lengthy shutdown.

Sources