9 February, 2022
Four dead in nine days
Police are urging residents to take care on Oakey region roads with four people losing their lives in the local district over the past nine days.
Three of the recent road deaths occurred on the notorious section of the Warrego Highway between Bowenville and Dalby.
An 86-years-old Ipswich man died after his car collided into a truck on Monday morning west of Bowenville.
The crash happened at 9.10am on the Warrego Highway near Auchman Road.
Two fire crews and one ambulance attended the crash.
The driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene.
Preliminary reports state the car was travelling west on the Warrego Highway when it crashed into the side of a semi-trailer travelling in the opposite direction.
The section of highway was closed for over an hour while Dalby Police were investigating the crash.
Traffic was redirected down Bowenville Blaxland Road, an alternative route to Dalby.
KINGSTHORPE CRASH
A 21-years-old Wyreema man died at the scene of a single vehicle crash at the corner of East Street and North Street, Kingsthorpe at about 12.30am on Friday.
Goombungee Police Officer-in-Charge Sergeant Michael Lingard said a sedan was travelling in a westerly direction along East Street when it left the roadway near the intersection with North Street, hitting a tree.
“All four occupants were entrapped in the vehicle,” Sergeant Lingard said.
“The driver, a 21-years-old Wyreema man, was pronounced deceased at the scene. Police from Goombungee, Oakey and Toowoomba attended the incident including specialist crash investigators.
“The three passengers, aged 26, 17 and 17 were from the Oakey area, and were hospitalised with serious injuries.”
The Toowoomba-based RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter and the LifeFlight Surat Gas Aeromedical Service (SGAS) helicopter were able to land safely at a nearby oval, along with the Queensland Government (QGAir) rescue helicopter.
Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) personnel transported one teenaged boy with leg injuries from the scene to the oval.
Medical teams from both choppers treated the other 17-years-old patient, who was then airlifted by the LifeFlight SGAS helicopter to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
Sergeant Lingard urged motorists to take caution on local roads.
“Police remind all drivers to drive to the speed limit and to be aware of the Fatal Five causes of crashes,” he said.
These two deaths occurred in the same fortnight as a tragic double fatality which claimed the
lives of a 22-years-old Pialba woman and a 45-years-old Nobby man on January 30.
Across the state a total of 12 people have lost their lives on Queensland roads.
Acting Chief Superintendent Ray Rohweder of Road Policing and Regional Support Command said people must take individual responsibility for their safety, acknowledging that safe driving starts with the person behind the wheel.
“It is only February 7 and 12 people have sadly lost their lives on our roads. That is horrendous and our thoughts are with the countless lives that have been devastated by these crashes,” he said.
“Everyone knows that speed kills, driving while distracted kills, drink and drug driving kills, driving while fatigued kills and not wearing a seat belt kills.
“We all know this. This is nothing new, yet we continue to see motorists ignoring the warnings, disregarding the road rules and taking unnecessary and often fatal risks when driving and it has to stop.
“Stop and think about your manner of driving. The forces of physics are very unkind in crashes and you may think you’re safe inside your vehicle, but our road toll says otherwise.
“Drive like it is the most important thing that you are doing because it is. Get it wrong and people die.
“We need motorists to be better and do better, it’s that simple. Road safety begins with the person behind the wheel.”
