11 May, 2023
Car plunges into Condamine
A man was fortunate to escape with only minor injuries after the vehicle he was driving smashed through the railing on the bridge over the Condamine River at Ellangowan and fell several metres, landing in the river.
Emergency services were alerted to the incident just after 10am on Monday.
The Toowoomba Karara Road bridge over the Condamine is close to the junction with Booligar Road.
Senior Constable Tyson Morris of Clifton said a Toyota LandCruiser utility was travelling south along Toowoomba Karara Road when it had a slight collision with a B-double travelling north.
Some of the tyres of the B-double were slashed.
The driver of the utility, a man in his 20s, lost control, smashing through the west-facing railing on the bridge and plummeting into the river.
He was able to self-extricate from the vehicle.
“I would say he has fallen at least 20 metres in the vehicle and somehow by the grace of God he has landed on all four wheels,” Senior Constable Morris said.
“QAS Clifton attended.
“They provided initial assistance along with local persons from nearby farming stations.”
Snr. Const. Morris said the driver was in a serious, but stable condition and this incident should serve as a warning.
“When you’re on these rural roads, they’re generally somewhat narrower than cities, people need to be mindful of river crossings and also heavy vehicles,” he said.
“Give them a wide berth if you can.”
The RACQ LifeFlight Rescue chopper was called into action at 10.30am, the pilot landing on a stretch of Booligar Road, near the scene of the crash, where the aeromedical crew met with local paramedics to treat the patient for minor injuries.
The patient was flown to Toowoomba Hospital in a stable condition, under the supervision of the RACQ LifeFlight Rescue Critical Care Doctor.
