One factor links three fatalities

POLICE are looking at fatigue as a factor that led to an 18year-old man dying after he crashed into a tree at Mungindi about 10.50am yesteday.

Queensland Police Service Southern Region Assistant Commissioner Mike Condon said the investigation was still in its early stage.

“What we do know is that it was a single-vehicle traffic crash where sadly the occupant has stuck a tree and died,” he said.

“When you have these isolated areas with long distances, fatigue is always something we consider.”

Similarly, police are working to understand what led to a 63-year-old man’s death at Pikes Creek, after he fell from a quad bike on Sunday about 4.30pm and the death of 18year-old Patrick Wallace after his vehicle and a truck collided head-on on Friday afternoon on the Gore Highway.

AC Condon said the three crashes were similar in that all involved motorists making poor decisions.

“If you are feeling tired on a long trip, stop,” he said.

“It will slow your journey but the extra time it takes might save your life.

“The quad bike rider was not wearing a helmet, and this is despite our messages last week that people are losing their lives through poor decisions.”

The three deaths mark a tragic start to July, which has traditionally been a peak period for road deaths.

“We always knew July would be bad, but we did not expect three fatalities over the weekend,” AC Condon said. “It is very frustrating. “These people had families and we feel for their families.

“We feel for the police, paramedics and other emergency services officers who worked on these people and those who were not killed but will bear lifelong injuries.

“I do not know what we have left to do.

“We keep putting the messages out there, but people keep making poor decisions while behind the wheel or on a motorbike.”