Man killed in tragic head-on crash on Cunningham

A 58-year-old man has died after a head-on crash on the Cunningham Highway at Silverdale, south of Ipswich. A second man suffered critical injuries.

A man has died following a two-vehicle crash on Cunningham Highway on Monday.

The 58-year-old was trapped in his vehicle before succumbing to critical injuries at the scene at Silverdale, between Aratula and Ipswich, according to police.

“Around midday, two vehicles heading in opposite directions on the Cunningham Highway collided,” police said in a statement.

“Emergency crews attempted to revive the 58-year-old driver and sole occupant of one of the vehicles, however, he passed away at the scene.”

The 49-year-old male driver of the other vehicle was critically injured. He was initially trapped but once freed was and flown to the Princess Alexandra Hospital by a Queensland Government Air helicopter.

A man has died following a head-on crash on the Cunningham Highway west of Brisbane.

A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman said the surviving man had a number of injuries, including to his chest and shoulder.

A police spokeswoman said the highway was closed in the area at the time but police were organising traffic diversions.

The Forensic Crash Unit are investigating.

The Cunningham Hwy has come to a standstill between Aratula and Ipswich at Silverdale. Picture: Google Maps

The fatal crash occurs just four days into Operation Zero, a statewide police operation aiming to reduce an already horrific road toll this year — set to be the worst in more than a decade.

Southern Region Operations Acting Inspector David Campbell urged all road users to play their part to safeguard the community and first responders from tragedy, trauma, and needless loss.

“Across the region, encompassing the Ipswich, Darling Downs and South West districts, we’ve already lost 35 lives on our roads this year and that’s 35 too many, fourteen more than last year,” he said.

“Until it happens to someone you love, or you’re involved in the emergency response it’s difficult to fathom the reality of fatal traffic crashes.

“We never forget the lives behind those numbers – their tragedy becomes our trauma.

“There’s only so much public education activities, a police officer holding a radar gun or manning a speed camera can do.

“I’m calling on all road users to wake up to the realities of the risks they’re taking on our roads, when you get behind the wheel of a car, you have a lethal weapon at your disposal — add in speeding, drink or drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt, driving tired and driver distraction, and the risks are amplified to a deadly extent.”