The victims of a freak accident where a tree fell on their moving vehicle have been identified as a much loved couple who were well known for their care and charity work.
Friends of Brian and Lynne Warren were in shock as the news broke that the couple were killed when a large tree fell and struck their grey Isuzu ute.
The tragedy unfolded on Graphite Road near Burnside Road in Deanmill near Manjimup in Western Australia‘s south on Wednesday
Mrs Warren, 78, was driving at the time while her husband, 75, was in the front passenger seat. Both died at the scene.
Locals claim that roadside trees weren’t being kept in check and had become a hazard in wild weather.
The couple were keen Rotarians and well known in the Margaret River community.
‘Some sad news of a wonderful couple,’ Rotary Club Mandurah Districts post on Facebook.
‘Volunteer Rotarians. Rest in peace.’
WA couple Brian and Lynne Warren died when a when a large tree fell and struck their grey Isuzu ute
The tragedy sparked an outpouring of tributes for the Warrens.
‘Oh my god I’m gutted. I served them for years in Urban Bean and continued to see them around town and they were so lovely,’ one person wrote.
Another wrote: ‘That’s is devastating they were such beautiful people. So sad to hear,’ another said.
Mrs Warren enjoyed a decorated career in nursing, which saw her awarded for excellence in the State Residential Aged Care awards while working in Carnarvon.
‘I had the pleasure of working with Lynne years ago and she was a brilliant nurse,’ a former nursing colleague wrote.
‘Very sad, may they both RIP.’
Mr Warren was involved in a number of programs in the Margaret River community, including volunteering for Rotary’s Alternative Leavers program.
This project took high school graduates to Timor Leste to help with community-building projects.
Brian and Lynne Warren were remembered as a ‘lovely couple’ who did a lot of charity work through Rotary
Police are investigating the scene of the accident on Graphite Road with one local saying trees have not been kept in check and have become a hazard in wild weather
Mr Warren told Augusta-Margaret River Times in 2019 that generous support from the community allowed young people to make a difference in the lives of less fortunate communities overseas.
The couple had also raised money to provide Timorese firefighters with protective gear.
Major crash detectives will examine the scene of the accident.
Police are appealing for anyone who has any information or dashcam footage.
