WA Police refuse to reveal whether alleged Rivervale driver tested for drugs and alcohol after deadly crash

Police are refusing to reveal whether a man accused of killing a grandmother when he drove his car into a Perth home was tested for drugs and alcohol. Rhys Robert Hawkins was charged with unlawful killing and destruction of property over the incident on Alexander Road, in Rivervale, last Friday. It’s alleged the 36-year-old was behind the wheel of a yellow Ford Falcon when it veered off the road and smashed into a rental property about 11.40pm, killing grandmother Bishnu Kumari Gurung on impact. The 53-year-old was sleeping at the time when the vehicle slammed through her bedroom wall. Hawkins and his 43-year-old male passenger were uninjured during the crash. He was arrested by police at the scene and fronted Northbridge Magistrates Court on Sunday, where he didn’t make an application for bail and was remanded in custody. WA Police have refused multiple requests to confirm whether Hawkins was subjected to mandatory roadside drug or alcohol testing at the crash scene, or whether he was required to give a sample of blood. A spokesperson said: “As this matter is currently before the courts, we are unable to provide any further details”. There are currently no charges laid against Hawkins relating to drink or drug driving which are before the court. Police have also disclosed drink and drug-driving related offending in other unrelated cases in the past. An online fundraiser set up to support Mrs Gurung’s family following her death has raised more than $24,000 in just one week. The grandmother had been visiting from Nepal with her husband and was staying with her daughter, Srijana Gurung, and son-in-law, when she was killed. “Our mother was a truly remarkable woman who was full of life, kindness, warmth, and unconditional love,” her daughter said last Saturday. “She always put others before herself and lived her life with compassion and generosity. “She was the heart and soul of our family, our greatest source of strength, comfort, and laughter. Her sudden passing has left an unimaginable void in our lives that words can hardly express.”