Bruce Highway blackspot south of Cairns claims four more lives in a year
The section south of Cairns is one of the Bruce Highway’s deadliest black spots, claiming four lives in the past year and 28 since 2012.
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It’s one of the Bruce Highway’s deadliest black spots, claiming four lives in the past year and 28 since 2012.
Highway fatality data tracked for over ten years revealed notorious high-risk section south of Cairns has claimed over two dozen lives since 2012.
The Ingham to Innisfail stretch in 2012 claimed six lives, in a shocking year for all Bruce Highway deaths that totalled 53 in a 12-month period and the stretch continues to claim lives.
In January this year, 20-year-old Brendan Rigano was killed travelling south bound on January 14 when he crashed in wet conditions near Mourilyan.
It is understood he crashed his motorbike less than 3km from his Moresby home.
He was declared dead at the scene.
In July last year the stretch of road was the scene of a horror head on crash that claimed the life of a 64-year-old heavy vehicle mechanic from Hull Heads.
Emergency services attended the scene at the Tully River Bridge in Euramo about 10am on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, after two utes collided.
The crash involved a Holden Rodeo travelling north and a Toyota LandCruiser travelling south.
The driver of the Holden was declared dead at the scene while paramedics transported the 45-year-old male driver and 33-year-old male passenger of the LandCruiser to Tully Hospital in stable conditions.
At the time, the Euramo hotel’s publican Ollie Muzic said the Bruce Highway needed more attention.
She said one lane of the main road to Cairns at Midgenoo had been closed for roadworks since October 2022.
“It’s shocking, it’s disgusting, because that wouldn’t happen if the road was in Brisbane. It’s been like that for so long,” she said.
“At this time of the year, there’s always a fatality somewhere on our road.”
The site near Midgenoo was also the location of two separate fatal incidents in May last year.
On May 8, 2023 a man in his 20s was hit by a car in Midgenoo near Tully.
Police investigations indicated a 4WD was travelling north on the Bruce Hwy at Midgenoo, 130km south of Cairns, at 1.50am on May 8, when it struck the man who appeared to be lying on the road.
The man died in hospital in June.
While he was in hospital a second man was killed while cycling in the same area.
On May 20, a male cyclist was killed when he was struck by a Toyota RAV4.
Investigations indicated the SUV was travelling northbound along the Bruce Highway between Feluga Rd and Midgenoo Rd before it crashed with the southbound cyclist.
In 2022, two drivers were killed on the Cardwell to Cairns stretch of the Bruce Highway.
In December 2022, Cairns Chippy Jesse Rodman was killed in a horrific crash at Gordonvale.
Mr Rodman was driving a Toyota HiLux when the vehicle was involved in a collision with a truck and a Mazda BT50.
Following the crash, Mr Rodman was taken to Cairns Hospital in a critical condition where he died shortly after.
And earlier in May, beloved grandmother Bernice Prats was killed when the trailer of a truck collided with her campervan on the Bruce Highway at Goolboo, in the black spot south of Innisfail.
The 80-year-old former teacher’s aide was deeply mourned by her circle of friends and remembered as an adventurer who experienced one of the most fulfilling retirements imaginable.
In 2021, 20-year-old Aden Lawlor was killed in a hit-and-run accident, on December 3 just north of Tully, and on February 16 a person was killed as a result of truck crash at Eubenangee on the Cassowary Coast.
January 14, 2024 — Brendan Rigano died after he crashed his motorcycle near Mourilyan.
July 26, 2023 — A 64-year-old was killed after a head on collision on the Tully River bridge at Euramo.
May 20 2023 — A male cyclist was killed when he was struck by a car on the Bruce Highway near Midgenoo.
May 8, 2023 — A man in his 20s was hit by a car while he was laying on the road in Midgenoo later dying in hospital in June.
December 8, 2022 — Jesse Rodman was killed in a horrific crash on the Bruce Highway at Gordonvale.
May 2, 2022 — Beloved grandmother Bernice Prats was killed when the trailer of a truck collided with her campervan on the Bruce Highway at Goolboo, south of Innisfail.
December 3, 2021 — 20-year-old Aden Lawlor was killed in a hit-and-run accident.
February 16, 2021 — A person was killed as a result of truck crash at Eubenangee on the Cassowary Coast.
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Originally published as Bruce Highway blackspot south of Cairns claims four more lives in a year
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