Emily Brown
A six-year-old boy has been left orphaned after both of his parents died in a motorbike crash just minutes from their home.
Parents Paul Pearce and Lynette Reader were riding together on the bike at about 9:20pm local time on Sunday (24 September) when the fatal crash took place.
The parents were driving along Pinjar Road in Tapping, Perth when they came over a crest on the road.
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It was there that they collided with a Toyota car driven by a 43-year-old woman, who was turning a corner which crossed paths with the motorbike.
Pearce, 39, sadly died at the scene. Reader, 35, was rushed to hospital after the crash, but she could not be saved.
The driver of the car suffered a minor eye injury.
Reader's grieving mother shared a heartfelt tribute about the couple with 9News, describing them as a 'young, loving couple that cherished their son dearly'.
"I have no other words than 'taken too soon,'" she added.
Reader's brother also shared kind words about his sister, saying: "Wherever Lynette went she would light up the room - her smile and laughter was contagious to many."
On Facebook, her brother added that his sister was a 'joy that was taken away'.
“The pain I feel is hard to put into words,” he wrote.
“Wish you stayed in Tasmania, wish this was just a bad dream. You leave behind your beautiful son, I promise to be there for him. This is one pain I never wanted to feel, you were meant to grow old and cranky with me.
“A sister is someone who loves you from the heart, no matter how much you argue you cannot be drawn apart. She was a joy that was taken away. I’m just lost this day, I’ll always think about you," the post continued.
Police are now investigating the tragic incident which left the six-year-old boy without parents, looking into whether speed had a part to play in the crash.
Reader and Pearce are understood to have recently sold the motorbike, and were just minutes from home when they collided with the car.
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch urged people to pay attention after the incident, saying: "It's another very strong and sad reminder that motorcycling is a dangerous way to move about, and you've got to be very careful about the way you execute your driving on a motorcycle."
Authorities have asked anyone with dashcam footage to get in touch as the investigation continues.