FOUR LIVES LOST

Dead man allegedly evaded officers

THE death of a 32-year-old man after a single vehicle crash on the Warrego Highway yesterday marks the fourth life lost to a traffic crash in five days in our region.

It is a horrific statistic that comes as police urge drivers to exercise caution on our roads during the winter holiday break, which is already a notorious period for road deaths.

Forensic Crash Unit officers are still investigating the cause of yesterday’s crash, but it would appear the Toowoomba man took a corner at speed, lost control and hit a tree.

BOTH a deceased motorist and the car he crashed allegedly evaded police in the days leading to a fatal traffic incident yesterday.

The details come as police continued to investigate the circumstances that led to 32year-old Toowoomba man crashing a black BMW into a tree off the Warrego Highway, at Glenore Grove.

Gatton detectives seized the vehicle for inspection.

A Queensland Police Service spokesman said they interviewed the second man who was travelling in a separate car with the deceased at the time.

Initial reports suggest the deceased did not own vehicle, however it was not reported stolen prior to the crash.

A police search of both vehicles recovered items of interest to investigators.

The spokeswoman said they were not drugs.

Police were not pursuing the vehicle and were not aware of its presence until the crash was reported.

The car left the highway between Forest Hill Fernvale Rd and Leschke Rd, about 4.45am.

Senior Sergeant Russell Reynolds said the man hit a corner at speed.

“The driver has lost control of the vehicle and collided with a tree, also taking out a major road sign,” he said.

The man is the fourth to die in a traffic crash since Friday.

Patrick Wallace died in single vehicle, Gore Highway crash on Friday.

John Pratt died in a quad bike rollover at his farm in Pikes Creek on Sunday and an 18-year-old New South Wales man died in crash near Mungindi, early Monday.

michael.nolan@thechronicle.com.au