Two die in head- on
A CAIRNS couple and their pet dog were killed in a headon collision with a truck on the Bruce Highway north of Bowen yesterday.
The man and woman, both aged 63, were travelling north when their Audi sedan and a rental truck collided in Guthalungra, 60km north of Bowen, about 8.30am.
The Townsville Forensic Crash Unit is investigating the incident, with the driver of a second truck assisting police with their inquiries. Matty Johnson witnessed the crash and rushed to assist the victims.
“Their bodies were bent in ways that was just horrific,” Mr Johnson said.
“I just dived headfirst into the vehicle.
“I could see and hear the lady in the passenger side breathing but the ambulance officers told me that was not uncommon and there was nothing we could do.”
Mr Johnson, a truck driver from Mount Low, also pulled a small puppy from the car but it died soon after. Mr Johnson and others who stopped to help covered the scene as best they could until emergency services arrived.
A 66- year- old Idalia man who was driving the rental removals truck was taken to hospital with non- life threatening injuries.
Mackay Police Superintendent Bruce McNab said investigators were speaking with the drivers of vehicles near the crash scene.
“A truck and a car have hit each other but there were other vehicles there at the time so we are conducting investigations as to what has happened,” Supt McNab said.
“That means not just the two vehicles that collided but others that may have been involved.”
It is understood police spoke with a 43- year- old Alligator Creek man who was driving an orange Isuzu truck.
Police said early indications suggested the Audi was travelling north and several trucks were driving south.
The head- on collision is believed to have occurred on the southbound lane.
Investigators will consider whether the Audi crossed to the wrong side of the road and if the oncoming traffic may have influenced that.
Supt McNab said he could not comment specifically as to the causes of the crash until investigations were complete, but said police found distraction and fatigue were leading factors in highway collisions.
“As we have seen with the disastrous ramifications today, there is not a lot of room for error at 100km/ h,” Supt McNab said. “If you are travelling you have to have a sufficient break because not only do you get fatigued but you can be distracted.”