Praise for man who stopped to assist

A MOTORIST who was first at the scene of a horrific crash near Machans Beach has been praised for his efforts as police call for witnesses to the tragedy.

The bystander was driving north on the Captain Cook Highway about 1am on Friday when police said he saw a plume of dust, then the crashed car just north of the Machans roundabout, and stopped to help.

“He stopped to render assistance and called emergency services,” Cairns police Acting Sen-Sgt Cary Coolican said.

“It is certainly apparent the actions of the motorist were timely and appropriate and it is just unfortunate the (driver of the crashed car) passed away.”

The victim has been identified as a 40-year-old from Watsonville on the Tablelands.

Initial information suggests he was headed south on the highway when his vehicle left the road and hit trees before coming to rest on its roof in a cement culvert.

Acting Sen-Sgt Coolican said the Forensic Crash Unit was still working to determine the cause of the crash, which is the 20th fatality on Far North roads this year.

“It is at an early stage of the investigation but they will consider a number of different factors,” she said.

Police have also made a call for witnesses as they look to trace the movements of the vehicle prior to the crash.

Acting Sen-Sgt Coolican urged anyone who saw a late model silver Hyundai Accent travelling southbound on the highway about 1am, or had dashcam footage, to come forward.

She labelled the incident a “tragedy”.

“This is a tragedy, not only for the man’s family, but the motorist who came across the incident and emergency services,” she said.

Anyone with information is asked to call police or Crime Stoppers.