Wealthy obstetrician was allegedly drunk and speeding when his Jaguar smashed into an Uber and killed a young female passenger

Police have alleged a high-profile obstetrician was drunk and speeding when he crashed his luxury sports car into an Uber driver, killing its young passenger.

Dr Rhys Bellinge, from one of Perth’s wealthiest families, was driving through the affluent suburb of Dalkeith on Saturday night when his blue Jaguar slammed into a parked Honda Jazz that Elizabeth Pearce, 24, was in. 

Police alleged he crossed onto the wrong side of Birdswood Parade after reaching speeds of 130km/h in a 50km/h zone, and ran red lights during the nine-minute drive.

He was allegedly almost four times over the limit and blew 0.183 on an initial test.

The 45-year-old fronted court from his hospital bed on Monday charged with Ms Pearce’s manslaughter.

Defence counsel Tony Hager said Dr Bellinge had been in emotional distress on the night of the crash after his recent separation from his wife and had been staying with his father – high-profile Perth businessman Bruce Bellinge.

Bellinge’s father said he was ‘devastated for the poor girl and her family’.

‘The grief and pain they must be feeling at this moment must be overwhelming,’ he told 7News. 

Police examine the scene where Elizabeth Pearce was killed in a car crash

In applying for bail, Mr Hager told the court Dr Bellinge was a well-respected member of his profession with strong ties to the community, and presented a low flight risk.

He told the court his client had been emotional on the night of the crash and was unable to see the road because he had ‘tears in his eyes’. 

‘We have a nine-minute period between 10.02pm and 10.11pm that have put him here, we have an upstanding citizen otherwise,’ Mr Hager said.

But the prosecution disagreed, arguing that because Dr Bellinge had access to significant wealth and means he was a flight risk.

‘He and his family are of extreme wealth. He could quite easily flee,’ they argued while describing his driving as ‘arrogant, aggressive and intentional’.

Police also raised concerns for the safety of Dr Bellinge’s estranged wife, due to the ‘unflattering comments’ he allegedly made just prior to the crash which were captured by his in-car camera.

The obstetrician was not required to enter a plea to charges of manslaughter and causing grievous bodily harm.

Mr Hager said his client faced a lengthy recovery period for his injuries and would remain in a spinal brace for several months.

Young Perth woman Elizabeth Pearce, 24, died on Saturday night after her Uber was hit by a car

He asked the magistrate to consider that in her bail ruling and said she had the capacity to impose restrictions on Dr Bellinge’s movements if bail was granted.

‘He is under absolutely no illusion as to what it would mean to drink a drop of alcohol or get behind the wheel,’ Mr Hager said.

The magistrate delayed a decision on bail until Tuesday so she could review the dashcam footage herself.

On Monday night, Ms Pearce’s family said their ‘world was shattered’. 

‘Our beautiful, bright girl brought sunshine to our lives and we are now in darkness,’ her family said in a statement.

‘We ask that you respect our privacy at this heartbreaking time.’

Several bouquets of flowers were left at the crash site in tribute to Ms Pearce, who studied at the University of Western Australia.

Bellinge is a pioneer in freezing human eggs and performed in Western Australia’s first embryo biopsy for genetic testing in 2005.