Logan bus crash: Ballooning couple recount road horror
A Queensland couple have told how the elation of a hot-air ballooning trip turned to terror as they were involved in a crash that injured 19 people, two critically.
QLD News
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First there was a scream, a loud bang and then Talisha Kent’s face suddenly smashed into the back of her partner’s seat.
Realising what had happened between their bus and an oncoming car Hemi Mullen’s instincts kicked in as he jumped on top of Ms Kent to protect her from further injury, part of her face now covered in blood.
“I heard a massive scream from, I think it was one of the girls at the front of the bus, and I just braced myself for impact,” Mr Mullen said.
“After the impact the bus sort of went flying. There was glass everywhere, it was all across my face and neck.
“It was pretty horrific.”
The Forest Lake couple were with a group of 20 other passengers returning to the Italian Club, in Clear Island Waters on the Gold Coast, following a hot-air balloon ride Sunday when their mini bus was involved in a head-on crash with a Mazda 6 on Mundoolun Rd, Mundoolun, between Tamborine and Jimboomba, about 10.20am.
The bus driver, a 74-year-old Southport man named Billy and the driver of the car, a 23-year-old Cedar Grove woman, were transported to different hospitals in critical conditions after being trapped in their vehicles for more than an hour.
A Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman said 19 other people, including the teenager, the only child on the bus, were also taken to various area hospitals.
Ms Kent, 32, said she and her partner were sitting in single seats, two rows from the back, when someone then yelled out the ‘bus was on fire’.
“But it wasn’t fire it was smoke,” she said.
“Someone said the front of the bus was on fire and to go out the back.”
Mr Mullen, 30, and a 13-year-old boy headed to the back of the 22-seat bus where they opened the emergency door and ushered the passengers off as emergency services arrived.
“I said for everyone to get off to their right and not to look to the left, because the car was to the left,” he said.
“Everyone kind of staggered out. Everyone just had bloody faces and were in shock,” Ms Kent added.
Ms Kent, a project controls officer, said she and Mr Mullen, a personal trainer, were grateful to have escaped the crash relatively unscathed but were concerned for their bus driver and the woman from the Mazda.
“I busted my lip and bruised my nose and had blood everywhere,” she said.
“Hemi has bruising down his left side from hitting the seat.
“We are pretty sore and so thankful but just really praying that Bill and the other drive are OK.
“Bill is so sweet and just a nice guy. He was so lovely and good to us all day.”
Mr Mullen bought Ms Kent a hot-air balloon ride with Balloons Afloat Gold Coast for her July 27 birthday and were on their way back for a champagne breakfast after enjoying their “amazing” but delayed flight earlier.
“We went out to Canungra and then out to Beaudesert and waited for two to three hours for the fog to lift,” Ms Kent said.
“We finally took off about 8.30am and landed at 9.30am. They said it was the latest they’ve ever taken off before.
“But, it ended up being beautiful and was amazing.”
A woman who answered at Balloons Afloat Gold Coast – also known as the Scenic Day Tour Group – Sunday said she was not allowed to comment and said would have someone return the Courier Mail’s calls.
Two more messages were left on the company’s voicemail when contacted again Sunday but are yet to be returned.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
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