Ben Mitchell killed after motorcycle crashes at Purga

The man who performed CPR on the side of the road in a desperate attempt to save an Ipswich father after a horrific motorcycle crash has made a plea in the wake of the tragedy.

Ipswich man Ben Mitchell was killed on the weekend after his motorcycle crashed into a car at Purga.

The three-vehicle crash left a five-year-old boy without his dad and an extensive family in mourning.

The 31-year-old was a talented hockey player and his old club, Hancock Brothers Hockey, said they were deeply saddened by the news on their social media page.

“Ben and his family (have) been long-term members of the club as players, coaches and team managers,” a spokesperson said.

“Our sincere condolences are with the Mitchell family at this very sad time.”

He was travelling south along Ipswich Boonah Road near a bend when he crashed into a station wagon on the opposite side of the road followed by a second collision with a Lancer on Sunday, April 3.

Motorcycle rider Jason Mutzelburg was first to rush to Mr Mitchell’s aide and spent 30 minutes trying to save him – not stopping CPR until paramedics arrived.

Sadly Mr Mitchell could not be saved and he took his last breath on the side of the road.

“It was very tragic,’ Mr Mutzelburg said.

Lockyer Valley man Mutzelburg said it wasn’t the first time he had to perform CRP on the roadside and said it was very concerning how frequent riders were being killed.

In the first few months of 2022, 20 motorcyclists have died.

The 35-year-old rider with over a decade of experience under his belt said road users needed to be more aware.

“The reality is that riding a motorcycle is more risky than driving a car and a crash as a motorcyclist is almost 30 times more likely to be a fatal than as a motorist,” he said.

“I’ve personally now witnessed first-hand several motorcycle accidents and the damaging effects.

“It’s a real eye opener on how quickly things can happen and change people’s lives forever.”

Mr Mutzelburg urged other riders to use proper protective gear, inspect their bike for anything unusual, check the weather and road conditions before heading out for a ride.

“With all the recent weather events the roads have deteriorated a lot, wash outs, pot holes, dirt sections, drop offs so people need to ride accordingly,” he said.

“More awareness needs to happen to prevent tragic events like this from happening again.”