Serious two-vehicle crash at Bruce Highway and second crash at Boyne Island closes major roads south of Gladstone
The Bruce Highway was closed in both directions south of Gladstone after a serious two-vehicle crash on Thursday morning, with two people trapped in the wreckage. While another crash in the area has contributed to traffic chaos.
Gladstone
Don't miss out on the headlines from Gladstone. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Two drivers have been taken to hospital after they were trapped in a serious crash which closed a major Central Queensland highway on Thursday morning.
The Bruce Highway was closed in both directions at Benaraby, south of Gladstone, following a two-vehicle smash at the Tannum Sands Rd and Bruce Highway intersection, about 8.30am.
Tannum Sands Road was also closed in the south-bound direction.
Queensland Police said at 10am the Bruce Highway had re-opened in both directions but they were urging motorists to drive with caution and remain patient as delays were expected to continue.
Tannum Sands Police are now seeking public assistance in relation to the traffic crash at Boyne Is Rd and Riverstone Rise Blvd.
Anyone with dashcam footage in the area at the time, or with information, is urged to contact Tannum Sands Police.
EARLIER: A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman said initially one patient, a male in his 30s, was being assessed in a serious condition with the steering wheel entrapping his legs in the vehicle.
The QAS spokesman said the second patient, a woman in her 70s, was being treated and in a stable condition, and crews were confident of freeing her.
QAS Boyne Island station officer in charge Greg Christensen said first responders needed to bring traffic “to a halt” in both directions to extricate the drivers and clean up the debris from what he described as “significant impact”.
“The gentleman was struck on his driver’s side with significant impact to his vehicle and had a period of loss of consciousness,” Mr Christensen said.
“We’re also clearing whether he has suffered spinal injuries.
“The 72 year-old female suffered a seatbelt related and ankle injury, we sent her as Code 1 (to hospital) due to her extensive medical history.”
Both drivers were taken to Gladstone Hospital in stable conditions.
Meanwhile, in an earlier crash in the area on Thursday about 7.35am, a sedan and semi-trailer collided at the Riverstone Rise Blvd and Boyne Island Rd intersection, blocking northbound access for motorists on Boyne Island Rd.
The two separate crashes have made it extremely difficult for residents of Boyne Island and Tannum Sands to travel towards Gladstone.
MORE: A beachside community has been left stunned after council workers put seizure notices on kayaks which locals have comfortably left at the water’s edge “forever”.
From the first crash, a female in her 50s was taken to Gladstone Hospital with shoulder injuries while the driver of the other vehicle, a man in his 20s, was not taken to hospital.
In what has been a busy 24 hours for Gladstone region emergency services, on Wednesday night a man in his 30s was taken to Gladstone Hospital in a stable condition with a head injury after a quad bike rollover on a private property at Bororen, just before 6pm.
More to come.
Labor maxing out the credit card on socialist policies
The Premier’s $1.4bn pledge to provide free school lunches for all Queensland state primary school children is a bold move, but a sign Labor is just maxing out the credit card on socialist policies that are short-term sugar hits.
Key policies compared: What Labor, LNP are promising voters
Labor and the LNP are offering very different approaches on key issues such as tax, health, energy and crime. With less that two weeks until the election, this is what each of them are promising you.