Man fatally struck on M1

A 25-YEAR-OLD Logan man was killed in a horror accident as he checked his brokendown car in the emergency shoulder lane of the M1 near the Gaven exit yesterday.

It is understood the man had pulled over due to engine problems just before 11.30am and was in front of his silver Holden ute when a northbound, red Hyundai careened into the back of his stationary vehicle.

The man is believed to have become caught underneath the car after impact and was dragged for about 20m before the ute came to a rest on a side embankment.

Queensland Ambulance Service dispatched three units including the High Acuity Response Unit and a critical care paramedic but the man was pronounced dead on scene.

The driver of the Hyundai, a 33-year-old woman, was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital as a precaution.

Her car remained on scene for several hours after the accident, the front bonnet crumpled from the severe impact.

QAS operations supervisor Gavin Fuller said the woman was very lucky to not have suffered more serious injuries, but added she was distraught after the horrific accident.

“The forces that were involved were a fairly severe impact, the speed limit along there is 110km/h,” he said.

“She appeared to be uninjured but was treated with spinal precautions. The initial impact caused the first vehicle that was broken down to be pushed approximately 20 metres further down the road and then it ended up off the actual side of the road on the embankment, so it was a fairly significant force.”

The tray of the man’s silver utility had risen from the impact and the front windscreen was badly smashed in.

The ute’s bonnet appeared to have been ripped off on impact.

Both vehicles sustained massive damage in the smash.

Fire Command crews had to work to pull the vehicle from the embankment after it was forced off the road.

Mr Fuller said once again paramedics had been called to a car crash on the M1 and warned motorists to drive safely and not be distracted

Firefighters assisted emergency authorities while the forensic crash unit carried out its investigations.

It is unknown how the second car ended up in the emergency lane but the shoulder on that section of the highway is narrow.

The M1 was heavily delayed for hours with about 5km of gridlock and two lanes blocked.

Traffic was at a crawl for several hours.

Late last year a man was killed on the Pacific Motorway after he walked between traffic lanes at Reedy Creek early in the morning. He also died on scene.