Cairns police appeal for Smithfield bypass dashcam and witnesses

Police are calling on the Cairns community to contact them if they have any dashcam or have witnessed the horror crash between a ute and bus on the Smithfield bypass on Wednesday.

CAIRNS Police believe that members of the public could hold vital data which could assist them in finding out what caused the horror crash between a ute and bus on Wednesday and have appealed to the community to come forward.

On Thursday Cairns Police confirmed that officers from the Cairns Forensic Crash Unit were investigating the cause of what a police spokesman called a “major traffic crash”, which occurred around 11am on June 15 on the Smithfield bypass southbound on ramp near McGregor Rd.

The police spokesman confirmed that there were 12 people on the bus and said it was understood the majority had been wearing seatbelts.

“The road was closed for several hours, and traffic was diverted after a three-vehicle crash with 12 people injured,” he said.

“Emergency services were on the scene to assist the injured and transport them to Cairns Hospital.

“Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the crash or captured footage on dashcam to

contact police.”

The police spokesman said a third vehicle was also involved in the crash and that it struck before the main crash.

He said it was understood that occupant of that vehicle was not injured and left the scene after giving their details to police.

The spokesman said that officers are also hoping that some key witnesses could hold vital information to assist their investigation.

“Several members of the public spoke with officers at the scene at the time and police would like those people contact them again if possible,” he said.

It is understood that officers at the scene spoke with several people who had seen what occurred, but as assisting the injured and making the scene safe was their priority, some witnesses left the scene before their contact details could be collected.

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Meanwhile, a Cairns Hinterland Hospital Health Service spokesman confirmed a total of 11 patients received treatment in Cairns Hospital, following a crash on the Smithfield bypass.

He said that so far five patients had been discharged including three woman aged 70, 66 and 61 and two men aged 64 and 63.

Those who are still in Cairns Hospital include a 62-year-old man in a serious but stable condition, a 66-year-old man in a stable condition, a 46-year-old woman in a stable condition, a 39-year-old man in a stable condition, a 60-year-old man in a stable condition and a 59-year-old woman in a stable condition.

Originally published as Cairns police appeal for Smithfield bypass dashcam and witnesses