‘Could have been avoided’: Sad details revealed in horror crash

New details into the tragic fatal crash that left a Tablelands motorbike rider dead on a remote FNQ road have been revealed amid disturbing crash statistics in the region.

AN Atherton man believed to be out on a social weekend motorbike ride has been identified as the victim of a tragic fatal crash on a remote Tablelands road.

The 67-year-old was riding his Triumph motorcycle alone on the Longlands Gap Rd at Kalunga, near Herberton, on Saturday when it is believed he collided head on with a car which had allegedly performed a U-turn in front of him.

Police investigations have begun to determine how the tragedy occurred on the 100km/h straight section of bitumen road in fine conditions.

Sergeant Scott Ezard of the Forensic Crash Unit is investigating a fatal crash on the Tablelands. PICTURE: BRENDAN RADKE

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“It’s just another tragedy on the road that clearly could have been avoided,” Cairns Forensic Crash Unit Sgt Scott Ezard said.

Six people have now died on Far North roads since the start of the year, double that for the same period in 2020.

This latest fatality has prompted yet another call from police urging people to take care and “be mindful” of other road users, particularly on the region’s rural and remote stretches.

Sgt Ezard said initial investigations suggested the 76-year-old driver of the Hyundai Kona was heading east when he allegedly performed the U-turn.

“At the same time a 67-year-old Atherton man was riding a Triumph motorcycle in a westerly direction which has allegedly impacted into the side of the other vehicle,” he said.

“We are trying to determine at this point why the driver allegedly failed to see the motorcycle.

“There would have been clear visibility in both directions.

Nearby residents are understood to have rushed to the scene to help both motorists and paramedics also worked to try and revive the motorcyclist with the Rescue 510 helicopter brought in to transport him to hospital.

But unfortunately he was declared dead upon his arrival at Cairns Hospital.

The older car driver was uninjured.

The incident was the lowlight in a bad weekend on Far North roads which saw a further three people hospitalised from two crashes.

Emergency services were called to Fishery Falls on the Bruce Highway south of Cairns just after 8pm on Saturday night.

The vehicle containing two people had rolled.

A man in his 50s was taken to Innisfail Hospital with back pain, while a man in his 40s went to Cairns Hospital for observation.

Less than three hours later a man in his 50s was left trapped in his vehicle after it crashed on the Kennedy Highway at Mt Garnet just after 11pm.

Fire crews helped extract the man before he was taken to Atherton Hospital in a stable condition with head and chest injuries.

Originally published as ‘Could have been avoided’: Sad details revealed in horror crash