Three dead in QLD Bruce Highway crash too similar to Maryborough tragedy

For the second time in less than three months, multiple innocent people have died in a crash involving an allegedly stolen car. In April it was Maryborough, today it is near Gympie. How can we stop this from happening asks Shelley Strachan.

The horror and tragedy unleashed on the Bruce Highway 30km south of Gympie last night bears a nightmarish similarity to the triple fatality near Maryborough less than three months ago.

On April 30, Sheree Robertson, 52, a Maryborough Hospital nurse, former Riverside Christian College student Kelsie Davies, 17, and Reach Church pastor Michale Chandler, 29, died on Saltwater Creek Rd on the Fraser Coast.

A 13-year-old boy allegedly driving a stolen car has been charged over that crash.

At 4am this morning, July 21, a 65-year-old man and his 25-year-old female passenger were killed at Federal, along with a 38-year-old man driving a Great Wall ute.

A 25-year-old man allegedly driving a stolen is under police guard in hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Police are investigating how the crash occurred amid reports he was driving in the wrong lanes of the 110km/h Bruce Highway and hit the oncoming traffic.

Too many lives have been lost on our roads involving stolen cars. On April 30, Sheree Robertson, 52, a Maryborough Hospital nurse, Reach Church pastor Michale Chandler, 29, and former Riverside Christian College student Kelsie Davies, 17, died after a crash involving a stolen car.

He is also alleged to have stolen that car at knifepoint from a Gympie mother, with her three young children present, on Thursday afternoon, before driving off in a northerly direction.

What happened in those 11-12 intervening hours is anybody’s guess, but reports on social media of a stolen car being driven erratically on the Bruce Highway north of Gympie later that afternoon, and then another car being driving erratically on the Fraser Coast that night had residents warning each other to lock up and stay inside.

“LOCK UP YOUR HOUSE AND CARS,” warned a poster at midnight.

“The oxygen thieving children are back at it tonight driving around in the stolen dark blue Volvo with no plates, last seen on boat harbour near the Pie Face servo.”

That Volvo was reportedly later found dumped in bushland off Craignish-Dundowran Rd at Walligan.

Other social media users reported seeing the carjacked vehicle north of Gympie.

“Occupant was waving a large knife out the driver door window, seemed to be a machete. Car was driving at high rates of speed and driving irrationally over double lanes and excessive use of horn.

“Police have been notified as of 20 minutes ago but made this post to warn others North of Gympie to look out for it.”

Police and the Forensic Crash Unit at the scene of a triple fatality on the Bruce Highway at Federal. Photo: Chelsea Heaney.

Encapsulating the public response perhaps, was this:

“This is absolute madness very traumatic. Hope you all will be OK.”

But of course all are not OK. Three innocent people are dead.

When will it stop? Is there a way to stop it?

Is the answer increased police numbers and patrols on our roads?

Stronger juvenile crime laws?

It is easy to say “don’t overreact” to this latest tragedy, but repeat horrors like this erode the feeling of wellbeing, safety and happiness of a community and that needs to be taken seriously.