Jandowae local calls for road upgrades after catastrophic crash Chinchilla-Wondai Road

An 82-year-old who broke his leg while swerving to avoid a truck on Chinchilla-Wondai Rd has called for road upgrades saying he’s seen dozens of crashes since living in the area.

Heinz Grega car crash

An 82-year-old Jandowae man has called for changes to Chinchilla-Wondai Rd after he rolled his vehicle on the narrow stretch at Jinghi in June last year.

Austrian-born Heinz Grega said he had driven for more than 60 years without incident but is now calling for centre lines and the widening of the road after nearly losing his life on the major road.

This comes after a woman and boy died and a girl was seriously injured earlier this month when their four-wheel-drive left the Chinchilla Wondai Rd, overturning and crashing into a tree.

Heinz Grega car crash

Mr Grega said since he had moved to the area decades ago he had seen at least 20 serious crashes and a number of fatalities on that road and last year he too became a victim.

“It was about 7pm and I was driving off to Dalby when suddenly a truck came, I was forced to go off to the side of the road and I rolled on the corner,” he said.

“The car was on fire and I was unconscious for about a minute but luckily a bloke came with his wife and his two kids and pulled me out of the car.

“My bloody leg was jammed and I said to him just pull and he pulled and pulled and my leg broke but I got out.

“I was in hospital for about four weeks but everything is all right now.”

Heinz Grega broke his leg in a car crash on Chinchilla-Wondai road

Mr Grega who has lived and worked across the globe as a cabinet maker said it was one of the most dangerous roads he had driven.

“I’ve driven for 60 years and I’ve never had a crash, I got my driver’s licence at 18 in Austria, I came to Australia and got my Australian drivers licence in NSW and another one in Queensland but I never had an accident,” he said.

“I drove all throughout the Middle East when I worked in Saudi Arabia and the roads are better in Syria.

“It was not my fault, the road is too narrow and when people came to the government 20 years ago asking for a centre lines they said it was too narrow for that, so why not make it wider?

“I’ve driven on that road dozens of times and when another car is coming you just get trapped on the side, it is so bad that three people have died on that stretch in the last few years.”

82-year-old Heinz Grega is seeking to have Chinchilla-Wondai Road widened.

Mr Grega is now calling on the authorities to step up.

“I have watched and experienced the economies of the local area grow, shrink, change and grow again over those last 30 years,” he said.

“I have watched and experienced the condition of the main road here suffer because of arrogance, short-sightedness, lack of empathy for the local community.

“When the powers at be decided to open the gas line, our roads went from a couple of local trucks and passing caravans to hundreds of heavy loaded doubles and triples, and the roads have suffered greatly.

“I just want these roads fixed so no one gets killed, in the years I’ve been here I’ve reached out to politicians to get it fixed but nothing has been done.”

Heinz Grega is one of dozens of people to have crashed on Chinchilla-Wondai Road.

A spokesman from the Department of Transport and Main Roads said they were aware of the issues and had in the past widened sections of the road.

“While TMR does not receive frequent inquiries regarding the road, TMR is aware of community desire to widen and upgrade the narrow sections of Chinchilla–Wondai Rd,” they said.

“In November 2024, the Department of Transport and Main Roads upgraded the Bunya Highway and Chinchilla–Wondai Rd intersection to widen and reseal the pavement and install dedicated right and left turn lanes into Chinchilla–Wondai Rd.

“Maintenance works have also recently been completed on Chinchilla–Wondai Rd between Pit Rd and Gadsbys Rd, Canaga, ahead of reseal works scheduled for next financial year. Works involved shoulder grading and basic seal and repairs to ensure longevity of the seal life.

“Further works are scheduled for several sections on Chinchilla–Wondai Rd at Chinchilla, Canaga and Darr Creek in 2027–28. These works also involve shoulder grading and basic seal and repairs to ensure the longevity of the seal life.”

They said they took the safety of drivers seriously and would continue to monitor the roads.

“Road safety remains a critical priority for the Queensland government,” they said.

“Every life lost and serious injury has a tragic impact on individuals, families and communities.”