A mother has been charged in connection with a two-car crash that resulted in the death of her four-year-old daughter. Saoirse Wynne, 33, was driving a Holden Astra with her daughter Layna Leavy and an eight-year-old son when the vehicle collided with a Ford Mustang in Canning Vale, Perth's southeast, on June 3.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud impact and a child's screams following the collision. Layna was transported to a hospital with critical injuries but did not survive. Wynne, who described her daughter as "the happiest girl I ever knew," posted a tribute stating, "Our hearts are shattered into a million pieces. Four years on this earth was never long enough."
On Monday, Western Australia Police announced that Wynne had been charged with careless driving causing death, careless driving causing grievous bodily harm or bodily harm, failing to properly restrain a child, and driving without authority. She is scheduled to appear in Armadale Magistrates Court on September 29.
The charges come several months after the family, who immigrated from Ireland to Perth in June 2024, held a funeral for Layna. An online fundraiser established to support the family with memorial costs and time away from work raised over $103,000. The GoFundMe page noted Layna's impact on the community in both Australia and Ireland, describing her as having "woven herself into the hearts of so many."