Bruce Hwy Crash: White Rock man, 26, dead after serious vehicle crash

A young man, 26, has tragically died after a serious three-vehicle crash on the Bruce Highway between a truck, Toyota HiLux and car.

G’day Far Northerners, here’s everything you need to know about what’s happening across the region this week, December 5 to December 11.

FRIDAY’S NEWS

THURSDAY’S NEWS

Fatal crash, Gordonvale

A young man has tragically died after a serious three-vehicle crash on Thursday morning between a truck, Toyota HiLux and car.

Emergency services rushed to Bruce Hwy, near Cairns Rd and the Gordonvale Sikh Temple at 6.10am.

The driver of the Toyota HiLux, a 26-year-old White Rock man, was trapped in his vehicle.

He was later freed by Queensland Fire and Emergency Service crews before being taken to Cairns Hospital in critical condition where he died shortly after.

A 48-year-old Manunda man was behind the wheel of the truck and was also trapped within his vehicle.

After being freed by QFES, he was taken to Cairns Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

The driver of the car, a 28-year-old Bungalow man, was taken to Cairns Hospital in stable condition.

Passengers in the three vehicles included a 42 year-old man, a 33-year-old man and a 23-year-old man, who were all transported to Cairns Hospital in stable conditions.

There were also reports a patient was impaled in the arm with a steel rod.

Three other patients were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

The Bruce Hwy was closed in both directions from about 6.25am before being reopened at 1.15pm.

The Forensic Crash Unit are investigating the circumstances of the crash, as police appeal to anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage of the accident.

WEDNESDAY’S NEWS

Car fire, Kanimbla

A woman was taken to hospital after a vehicle was briefly ablaze after it hit a tree on a Cairns road.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services were on scene at Ramsey Dr in Kanimbla where a single vehicle crash with a tree left a car on fire at 1.30pm, 500m away from the skate park.

Flames were extinguished and under control by 2pm.

The motorist and its passengers were able to remove themselves from the car before emergency services responded.

A woman in her 50s was taken to Cairns Hospital in stable condition with some chest pain.

Beaches closed, woman stung by irukandji

Cairns beaches have been closed by lifeguards after a woman was stung by an Irukandji jellyfish at Palm Cove on Tuesday evening.

Lifeguard North Queensland supervisor Jay March said three Cairns northern beaches had been closed as a precaution in response to ocean and wind conditions.

“I went out and closed the beach early as a precaution, Clifton and Kewarra beaches are also closed,” he said.

The presence of stingers has closed Palm Cove, Clifton and Kewarra beaches. Picture: Brendan Radke

“And we are monitoring Ellis Beach very closely. All other beaches have a high risk alert in place.

“(We have had) northerly winds, the current has turned around and is heading south instead of north. It tends to bring the oceanic plankton and irukandji in from the reef.

“The advice is to swim at patrol beaches, if they are open, and talk to the friendly lifeguards on duty and take notice of the signage.”

Irukandji are very small measuring 2cm in diameter.

Mr March said while stinger nets offered protection from the potentially deadly box jellyfish, irukandji, being 2cm in diameter, meant the extremely venomous creatures could fit through gaps in the net.

“The best thing to do is cover up as much as possible the more you cover up the less chance of being stung and it’s good advice with the temperatures we have been getting lately,” Mr March said.

TUESDAY’S NEWS

Gravel spill, Manoora

Debris across a busy road in Manoora has disrupted traffic in all directions.

The key commuter intersection that connects Pease St, Moody St and Hoare St on Cairns Western Arterial Rd was littered by a gravel spill about 6am.

Motorists have been warned by TMR to proceed through the intersection with caution.

The road has since been cleared of the debris as of 8am with traffic conditions as normal drivers are still advised to proceed with caution.

MONDAY’S NEWS

Vehicle rollover, Mareeba

Paramedics have transported one person to Mareeba Hospital after a vehicle rollover in the early hours of Monday morning.

The male driver, 26, suffered an arm injury when his car rolled onto its side on the Kennedy Hwy near Davies Creek Rd about 12.20am.

The man was transported in a stable condition and emergency services had finished at the scene by 2.20am.

He remained in a stable condition and was continuing treatment at Mareeba Hospital at 10am.

WEATHER

The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting a sunny day for Cairns on Friday with a minimum of 22C and a maximum of 34C.

Jordan Laws, 2, of Trinity Beach splashes through puddles at the Cairns wharf. Picture: Brendan Radke

Across the region on Friday:

Cairns: Sunny, 22C – 33C

Atherton: Sunny, 16C – 33C

Cardwell: Sunny, 21C – 31C

Cooktown: Sunny, 23C – 33C

Innisfail: Sunny, 20C – 32C

Mareeba: Sunny, 18C – 32C

TRAFFIC

Sheridan St at Cairns North: Roadworks – asphalt and line marking works

Turning lane from Sheridan St into Smith St will be closed during works expected until December 14.

Tablelands, various locations: Road works

Road widening works south of Mareeba on the Kennedy Hwy until December 24. Road widening works east of Mareeba on the Kennedy Hwy until March 28. Delays expected in both cases.

Road works blocking lanes on the Gillies Range Rd near Atherton Hospital until December 10, in Yungaburra until December 15 and near Lake Eacham until December 17.

Full road closure on Mary St in Malanda until early 2023 for bridge replacement works.

Edmonton/Gordonvale

Roadworks are being carried out on the Bruce Highway — Cairns Southern Access Corridor — Stage 3: Edmonton to Gordonvale. Delays expected (during active hours of work), with all lanes in both directions affected. The work is expected to run until June 30, 2023.

Kuranda/Smithfield

Night works continue on the Kennedy Highway with lanes reduced, allow for extra travel time.

Captain Cook Hwy near Oak Beach: Roadworks – slope stabilisation works

Lanes reduced in all directions from December 5 to December 24.

Wrights Creek

Hill Road Closed permanently from the Bruce Highway to Harris Road to December 2024.

Bruce Hwy between Kennedy and Tully: Roadworks – power pole maintenance

Power pole works at various locations until February 17. Lanes reduced in both directions.

Peninsula Development Rd: Adverse driving conditions – slippery surface

Road restricted to 4WD only in both directions between Coen and Kennedy.

Road subject to five-tonne GVM limit in both directions between Coen and Weipa.

Burke Developmental Road: Adverse driving conditions – water over road

Road subject to five tonne GVM. Delays expected to traffic in both directions.

WHAT’S ON

Theatre: Teardrops on my dildo. Tanks Arts Centre – Tank 5

6.30pm Thursday, December 8.

In Teardrops on my Dildo, Vanessa ‘Larry’ Mitchell is a cannonball of confidence and a firing squad of laughter on stage. Brace yourselves for a wild ride of side-splitting hilarity with this modern-day Queen of Sass, as she takes you on a laugh-out-loud adventure of her trials and tribulations of parenting, dating, and all things female.

Event restricted to adults.

Tickets from $40.

Live music: Kav Temperley (Eskimo Joe). Tanks Arts Centre – Tank 5

6.30am Friday, December 9

Kav Temperley – frontman, bassist and songwriter of one of Australia’s most loved bands, Eskimo Joe – is performing in an intimate, one-off performance at the Tanks.

Adult tickets from $35.

Mr Temperley will also host a songwriting workshop at 5.30pm on Thursday, December 8 at Cairns Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre.

Adult tickets from $30.

Art exhibition: Serving Country – launch. Tanks Arts Centre – Tank 4

6pm Saturday, December 10.

Serving Country is a photographic portrait exhibition recognising and acknowledging the valuable contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force.

Exhibition runs until January 21.

Free event.

Holloways Beach seaside markets. Holloways Beach foreshore

From 8am Sunday, December 11

Shop local at the markets held right on the beach.

New and unusual gifts: handmade, upcycled, recycled and repurposed. Plus, divine food and coffee.

Beautiful markets to browse, meet up with friends, bring the family and enjoy.

Music workshop: Launch Pad. CPAC

4pm Sunday, December 11

Launch Pad is a creative stage for creative people.

The Studio at the Cairns Performing Arts Centre is set to be an incubator for fresh new creative work in Cairns. Launch Pad provides a space where emerging artists can present in a 15-minute slot on a professional stage with full technical support in a world class venue, whether you’re a musician, comedian, dancer, performer, stand-up, poet, or anything to do with the arts.

Free event

Carols in the Park. Munro Martin Parklands

From 5pm Sunday, December 11

Carols in the Park will return in 2022 as a live production. This year’s event will embody a tropical sparkle theme, and will feature a wide variety of local artists.

Free event.

Alcohol-free event.

Sport: KFC Big Bash. Cazaly’s Stadium

6pm Thursday, December 15.

The KFC Big Bash League is coming to Cairns. Enjoy the action as the Brisbane Heat take on the Melbourne Renegades at Cazaly’s Stadium under lights in what is the first BBL fixture to be held in a regional destination.

Adult tickets from $27.

Originally published as Bruce Hwy Crash: White Rock man, 26, dead after serious vehicle crash