Shearer Caleb Rodney remembered following horror crash in WA’s Great Southern region

A gun shearer who was killed in a crash during a horror 24 hours on Great Southern roads has been remembered as a selfless man and “favourite” of eight children. Caleb Rodney, 21, was one of three passengers in a Holden Commodore when it crossed to the wrong side of the road and hit a tree 25km from Kojonup at 9am on Wednesday. The driver, a 19-year-old woman, was flown to Perth by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. The other two passengers, a man and a woman in their 20s, were taken to Royal Perth Hospital by the RAC rescue helicopter. One of Mr Rodney’s brothers, Jarrod, said Mr Rodney had spent the festive period with their father and had followed in his footsteps by becoming a shearer. “That’s what he always wanted to be. He was shearing the dog as a kid in the lounge room,” Mr Rodney said. “He shore his first sheep when he was 10 with hand shears. He did his first 200 (in a day) on his 18th birthday. He would have been 22 in March.” Mr Rodney attended Katanning Senior High School and played football for Katanning Wanderers. He moved to Perth for a year and won consecutive league premierships with Queens Park Football Club. A full-time shearer from a young age, he competed at shearing shows across WA, including at the Perth Royal Show. His sister, Taneeka, said he was a great uncle and a “cheeky boy” with a big smile. About 10.15pm on Wednesday, a 28-year-old man was killed when a car veered off the road and struck a tree at Jerramungup. Major crash investigators are calling for information about both crashes.