Second truck fatality rocks Kingaroy district

A utility driver killed in a collision with a truck — not far from where a head-on collision claimed four lives on Monday night — was thrown through the windscreen as his wife followed in another vehicle, a witness says.

A TINY community hit with two fatal car crashes in less than 48 hours has been left devastated by the loss of a local.

Joseph Guaresi, 63, died when his utility smashed into the back trailer of a truck at 11.55am today.

The crash on Reedy Creek Rd, near the intersection of Benair Rd at Benair, was just 20 minutes’ drive from where Charmaine Harris McLeod and her four children were killed in a head-on smash with a prime mover on Monday night.

Locals were shocked to hear the latest news, describing the bricklayer as a decent man and a hard worker.

Butcher Bevon Fawcett, 49, said he’d met Mr Guaresi multiple times and described him as a loving father and a well-regarded local.

“He was a solid worker, he’d dig trenches, whatever you put there for him to do, he’d do,” Mr Fawcett said.

The butcher of 25 years said he’d never recalled a similar number of deadly crashes on the roads.

“It’s bad enough after the first one,” he said.

Police at the scene of the latest fatal crash involving a truck in the Kingaroy district. Picture: Annette Dew

In a tragic twist, it emerged Mr Guaresi’s wife had been following in a second vehicle and witnessed the crash, in which he was flung through the utility’s windscreen.

Senior Sergeant David Tierney said police believed the ute driven by Mr Guaresi had failed to stop at a stop sign, collided with the rear trailer of a truck.

The driver of the truck was shaken but otherwise unharmed.

South Burnett Regional Council Mayor Keith Campbell said he grew up in Benair, right at the backdoor of where the crash happened.

“My brother has a lot of property around the area, I’ve just spoken to him a little while ago and he and his family are okay,” Cr Campbell said.

He said the local community was devastated by the most recent news.

“It’s just an absolute blow,” he said.

“We have never been in a situation in my living memory where I can recall so many individual accidents that have claimed so many lives in such a short space of time.”

South Burnett Regional Council is now planning to hold an evening for relatives of those lost in crashes in the region on Monday night.

“People need to be able to unload a little bit,” Mayor Campbell said.

Sen-Sergeant Tierney said the past week was another stark reminder for drivers to take care on regional roads.

“Wear your seatbelt for a start, drive to the conditions, pay attention,” he said.

It is the ninth death on South Burnett roads in six weeks.

A Benair local who came across the scene said the accident was “horrifying”.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said a combination of narrow rural roads and overconfidence while driving was a contributing factor.

“People don’t drive to the conditions, but the roads are too narrow.”

The wreckage of the utility at the scene of the crash. Picture: Annette Dew