A prominent obstetrician from Perth, Rhys Bellinge, faces serious charges after allegedly driving under the influence and speeding, resulting in a fatal collision that claimed the life of 24-year-old Elizabeth Pearce. The incident occurred during a reckless nine-minute drive through Dalkeith, where Bellinge reportedly reached speeds of up to 130 km/h, ran red lights, and crossed onto the wrong side of the road before crashing his Jaguar into the Uber Pearce was in.
Preliminary tests revealed Bellinge had a blood alcohol level of 0.183. He appeared in court via video link from the hospital, facing manslaughter charges. His lawyer requested bail, citing emotional distress following a recent separation from his wife, stating that Bellinge was struggling to see the road due to tears. Prosecutors described his driving as “arrogant, aggressive, and intentional,” raising concerns about the safety of his estranged wife given comments captured on dashcam footage.
Bellinge, known for pioneering procedures in reproductive medicine, has been temporarily unavailable to his patients. The magistrate has postponed the bail decision to allow time for reviewing the dashcam footage of the incident.