Two-vehicle crash leaves one person trapped in car reported stolen on Bruce Highway

A North Queensland woman, who witnessed terrible scenes in a highway crash involving a rental car that had allegedly been stolen, has recounted what she saw.

A witness to a shocking Bruce Highway crash has come forward with details about the carnage.

It comes after a black ute and an allegedly stolen silver sedan were involved in a two-vehicle crash south of Mackay that left a man in his 30s with serious head injuries on November 30.

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said on Saturday she was driving two cars behind the black ute and saw “the little silver car coming towards us … across the lines.”

“(The) black ute kind of go up then start rolling off the road and the silver car just was all of a sudden directly in front of me sliding towards me,” she said.

After watching the crash unfold right in front of her, she jumped out to help.

“At the same time a guy behind me pulled up and jumped and also, we both ran over to the silver car and there a young guy inside that looked late 20s,” she said.

One person was seriously injured in the crash near Balberra on the Bruce Highway, closing it in both directions. Photo: Heidi Petith

“I asked the other man to phone the ambulance as I started trying to speak to the driver.

“There was a lot of blood but none of the cuts seemed serious, he appeared to have a serious head injury and we could not get a word from him and could not get him to calm down.

“More people from other cars started coming over to try to help, one young guy had first aid (training) and tried to bandage him up but the driver would not let anyone help him, we would try to hold him still in case of spine injuries and so he did not hurt himself more but he was very strong and would just shake us off.

“He did appear to not have been wearing a seatbelt as I noticed it was buckled in but done so underneath and behind him and he was badly flopped over sideways in his chair.

The woman also said she saw the driver’s mobile phone on the dash above the steering wheel.

“It was a very scary and messy scene, like something out of a movie,” she said.

Initial:

A driver is in hospital with serious head injuries following a horror sideswipe collision involving a “stolen” rental car, south of Mackay.

The man, in his 30s, had been driving a silver sedan and it is understood the vehicle was a rental car that had not been returned by the due date.

As a result it was reported stolen.

The two-vehicle crash, also involving a black ute, occurred about 11.20am Wednesday on the Bruce Highway just north of Balberra.

A man suffered serious head injuries following a collision on the Bruce Highway. Picture: Andrew Kacimaiwai

Senior Sergeant Tony McDowall said it appeared one of the vehicles may have been overtaking on double white lines when it another a northbound vehicle collided.

“The northbound vehicle was the dual cab (Triton) and the silver (was) heading south,” Snr Sgt McDowall said.

“The silver (hatchback) has been reported stolen.

“It looks like a sideswipe by both vehicles.

Two cars have collided in a serious crash north of Alligator Creek on the Bruce Highway, south of Mackay, at about 11.20pm on Wednesday, November 30, 2022. Picture: Andrew Kacimaiwai

“There were some people entrapped in vehicles and Fire and Rescue have then freed them.

“Four persons have been taken to hospital.”

QAS confirmed a man in his 30s suffered serious head injuries and was taken to Mackay Base Hospital.

While the trio in the black ute were taken to hospital as a precaution – a man in his 50s suffered a hip injury and two woman, aged in their 50s and 20s, suffered neck pain.

Traffic is backed up after a two-car collision north of Alligator Creek on the Bruce Highway, south of Mackay, at about 11.20pm on Wednesday, November 30, 2022. Picture: Andrew Kacimaiwai

Snr Sgt McDowell said investigations will continue into the crash and the ownership of the car reported stolen.

The Bruce Highway was closed for some time while the area is cleared of debris, which was spread out to about 80 metres.

Six QAS crews, police, Mackay’s Forensic Crash Unit and multiple Queensland Fire and Rescue crews were called to the scene.

Originally published as Two-vehicle crash leaves one person trapped in car reported stolen on Bruce Highway