December 20, 2011, Two young men have been killed in a high speed car crash on Riverside Drive in Perth.

Police say a Commodore crashed into a palm tree on the median strip just after 1:00am.

The car burst into flames and the driver, 20-year-old Tom Dymond from Muresk, was incinerated in his seat.

His 19-year-old passenger, Shaun Payne from Northam, was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene.

The vehicle was split down the middle on impact and parts of the car were found 75 metres up the road.

Police say they have no doubt speed was a factor in the crash as there were no skid marks at the scene of the accident.

Acting Sergeant Allan Mawdesley from the Major Crash Unit says it was a horrific scene.

"It was a very severe crash with the vehicle having split in two," he said.

"This is probably the worst I've ever seen."

He says police will investigate the cause of the crash.

"We need to look at a number of things, obviously speed is a factor, whether alcohol may have been a factor in this crash," he said.

"It is a tragedy this close to Christmas."

PHOTO: The wreckage was taken away (Graeme Powell: ABC News)
The Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan also says the crash was one of the worst he has seen.

"As soon as you see that picture you know that extremely high speed was involved and you suspect that alcohol and/or drugs might have been involved," he said.

"That's still to be confirmed but it's my bet that we'll find that at the post-mortem."

Police are hoping a camera at nearby Barrack Street may help determine the speed the car was travelling at before it hit the tree.

Mr O'Callaghan says the crash highlights the need for motorists to heed the Christmas road safety message and slow down.

But, he says the death toll keeps rising.

"There is no doubt in my mind that a number of families who have loved ones with them today will not have loved ones with them on the first of January," he said.

The deaths take the state road toll for the year to 174.