Brisbane traffic: Man killed at Kuraby, another critical after being hit by car at Eight Mile Plains

Four men have been killed, another has suffered critical injuries and the Bruce Hwy was closed by a crash earlier this morning after a horror 36 hours on Queensland roads.

Four men have been killed and another is critical after a spate of serious crashes across Queensland in the past 36 hours, which a top traffic cop says could have been avoided.

A 30-year-old Kuraby man died after a single-vehicle crash on Beenleigh Road, Kuraby, just after midnight Friday.

Police say the vehicle the man was driving left the road and crashed into a light pole. He died at the scene.

He’s one of four people killed in just a few days across the state.

A 4WD towing a trailer northbound on the Bruce Highway crashed through the guardrail at Bakers Creek bridge, south of Mackay. Picture: Janessa Ekert

Queensland Police Road Policing and Regional Support Command Acting Chief Superintendent Christopher Stream said driver behaviour was a factor in the recent spate of deaths.

“It comes down to driver behaviour, people just not focusing on the road or taking responsibility,” Superintendent Stream said.

“We’ve seen speed and possibly some weather contributions as well.”

So far this year, 215 people have died on Queensland roads. The grim statistic is 17 more deaths than the same time last year.

Superintendent Stream said 12 of those deaths were from driving in floodwaters.

Overnight, the region was pelted by rain which caused hazardous road conditions and flash flooding.

Despite repeated warnings, Superintendent Stream said people still drove through floodwaters

“We had heavy rain, drainage can’t get those heavy falls away quickly so we see vehicles hitting that water and aquaplaning,” he said.

“Quite a significant number of those are driving through floodwaters and some had to be rescued.”

The most deaths have occurred in the Southern Police region (50), followed by the North Coast (45) and Central regions (43).

Superintendent Stream said it was simple to stay safe on the roads.

“Just because the signs say 60, 90 or 100 (km/h), it’s really important for the driver to adapt their driving and slow down where they have to.”

Elsewhere, a 32-year-old New South Wales man died in far north Queensland after he lost control of his motorbike and crashed into a tree.

He was riding as part of a dozen riders touring the Narau Beach Road on the Cape York Peninsula.

It is understood he lost control when a wallaby jumped in front of the bike, forcing him to swerve and come off the road.

Other riders performed CPR by emergency services were unable to revive him.

The forensic crash unit is investigating.

Police inspect where a vehicle and trailer has come off a bridge and rolled down a river bank south of Mackay. Picture: Janessa Ekert.

About 2.30am Friday, a man aged in his 20s was critically injured after being struck by a vehicle on the Gateway Motorway northbound near Logan Road at Eight Mile Plains.

Police located the vehicle involved nearby and the driver is assisting with inquiries.

Investigations are under way.

Meanwhile, the Bruce Hwy was closed in both directions at Bakers Creek near Mackay earlier this morning after a 4WD towing a trailer crashed through a guardrail and rolled on the river bank.

A couple aged in their 50s were trapped in the wreckage for some time.

The pair were seriously injured and taken to hospital – a man suffered head and chest injuries and a woman suffered chest injuries.

Both lanes of the highway have since reopened.

It comes after 12-year-old boy was critically injured in Brisbane’s east on Thursday morning, while a motorcyclist was killed on the Warrego Hwy at Dinmore and a Coorparoo man was killed in a crash at Highgate Hill, both on Wednesday night.

The crash at Wakerley on Thursday that left a 12-year-old boy critically injured. Picture: Liam Kidston.