Dad and daughter die after Easter collision at Koumala
Tributes flow after a dad and daughter on a motorbike ride for his 60th birthday both died in what police believe was a split-second decision on a stretch of the Bruce Highway labelled a ‘danger zone’. Read how she will help others even after her death.
Mackay
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A young woman has lost her fight for life after a horror Bruce Highway crash in which her father died south of Mackay on Easter Monday.
Hannah Atherton, 19, was the pillion passenger on her 60-year-old father Alan Atherton’s Harley Davidson as part of a birthday ride in a group when tragedy struck about 10.25am on Monday April 18.
Friend Shakira Bickley shared her grief, describing how excited Hannah had been to return to Mackay for her dad’s birthday after five years living away.
She said she hoped her friend’s organs would go “to a soul just as beautiful as hers”.
“It’s something you may see or think about, but never think it will happen to you,” she said on Facebook.
“The loss of a best friend is nothing that I ever thought I would have to go through.
“On the Sunday night before everything happened, Hannah and I drove and got ice-cream.
“We drove around Mackay looking over a city we once called home.
“Talking about our future and personal goals. Saying how she can’t wait to have a big family one day and that I’ll be the ‘cool auntie’.
“We pulled up to mine and said our goodbyes and that we will see each other very soon as she was planning to come visit me in Gold Coast.
“One last hug and one last ‘love you’ as I closed the door.
“As hard as it is, I’m glad this was our last conversation. I’m glad you got to hear how much I love you.
“Was a true blessing getting to say one last goodbye at the hospital. The people there are amazing!
“Getting to hold your hand and seeing you at peace is something I’ll appreciate forever.
“May you and your dad ride into the beautiful sunset together.
“Both loved each other so much and I couldn’t think of a better person you could be leaving this world with.”
Friend Mekenna Bowman said her heart was shattered.
“You were one in a million with a smile that could’ve lit up the whole world,” she sid on Facebook.
“You will be missed dearly, you put up a hell of a fight, a fight no one would ever go through.
“You made me proud no matter what you did and with every decision you made.
“I miss your cheeky laugh that we all knew was you the second we heard it, I miss your sarcasm and most of all I miss your smile.”
Acting Inspector Anthony Cowan said initial investigations suggested a car had stopped on the side of the road near McNeil Rd at Koumala, and did a U-turn in front of the motorbike.
“I believe there was a group of motorcycles and (the car) has given way for most of the motorcycles and they’ve conducted a U-turn and not seen the last one, is what it appears,” he said.
Both the silver sedan and the motorbike had been travelling south.
The car’s driver, a 63-year-old woman, was taken to Mackay Base Hospital in a stable condition.
Her 40-year-old male passenger, 34-year-old female passenger and two children aged seven and five were not seriously injured.
They were taken to hospital as a precaution.
A friend on social media said Mr Atherton died doing what he loved.
“Sending all the fighting strength to your beautiful daughter,” Kirrilea Smyth wrote.
“You went out doing something you dearly loved, may you ride high in heaven.”
Police will increase patrols on the desolate Bruce Highway stretch where fatigue has been determined as a common factor in road tragedies, and the scene of three deaths this year.
Inspector Cowan said police would work with Transport and Main Roads on improved signs and educational messaging in the area he described as a “danger zone”.
Inspector Cowan said the force of the crash rolled the sedan in the marked 100km/h Bruce Highway zone he described as a dangerous stretch because of fatigue.
“The area of Koumala and Carmila – that whole area – there’s not much in that area,” he said.
“Fatigue plays a big part in highway accidents especially in the area south of Mackay.
“There’s a big fatigue zone there especially coming 10 hours north of Brisbane and there’s not much around.
“People don’t realise they’re tired until it is too late.”
Inspector Cowan said police would maintain a strong presence on the region’s roads over the coming two long weekends, adding Mackay officers had conducted 2800 random drug and alcohol tests and issued more than 170 infringement tickets in the past four days.
“There’s always concern with long weekends and extra people on the roads, especially if they’re rushing for a short weekend away,” he said.
“Any fatal is never a good scene, especially over the Easter weekend.
“It’s the last thing police or ambulance or emergency services – and especially civilians who pull over to help with CPR – expect when you go for a drive over the Easter long weekend.
“Unfortunately it happens more often than it should.”
The 19-year-old woman suffered critical head injuries and was flown to Townsville University Hospital where it is understood she died.
The father and daughter had been riding on a Harley Davidson motorbike when it collided with the silver sedan hatch near the highway’s intersection with McNeil Road at Koumala, just after Cherry Tree Creek about 10.25am.
Police said initial reports indicated the impact of the motorbike hitting the sedan caused it to flip onto its side, blocking the northbound lane of the highway, which was closed in both directions for several hours as police investigated the scene.
Mackay Forensic Crash investigators have called for any dashcam footage from the area or to speak with anyone who has information that could help.
On Monday, Mackay district duty officer Lisa Mansfield said Forensic Crash Unit officers were on scene quickly after the crash and were now investigating the cause of the collision.
“Upon arrival we established that a male person was deceased as a result of injuries sustained in that traffic crash,” Senior Sergeant Mansfield said.
“A female has critical head injuries and has been flown by RACQ helicopter to Townsville Hospital.
“And we have a female driver of a vehicle who has sustained what appears to be hip injuries.
“At this stage, we don’t know what has caused that crash and that will be subject to a coronial investigation.”
A Queensland Police Service spokesman said there were five people in a car and two people on a motorbike.
A Queensland Ambulance Services spokeswoman said emergency personnel assessed seven patients, two in a critical condition.
She said a female was taken to Mackay Base Hospital suffering pelvic and shoulder injuries.
The spokeswoman confirmed a male in his 40s, a female in her 60s and two children were all also taken to Mackay hospital as a precaution.
Two fire crews, one from Sarina and one from Mackay, were also sent to the scene but there were no entrapments.
Large vehicles were stopped on the Bruce Highway in both directions. Detours were in place for smaller vehicles but delays were expected.
The highway has since reopened.
Senior Sergeant Mansfield said the public stopped immediately and “rendered first aid as best they could”.
“Unfortunately we come across a lot of these accidents and our community do help us out greatly so we are very appreciative of that,” she said.
“We do have diversions in place for smaller vehicles, unfortunately those diversions are not suitable for our heavy vehicles, who are, you’ll see, are parked up along the highway and waiting patiently for us and again we are very grateful for their patience.
“We’re also grateful for the interaction that members of the public had with our crash victims early on prior to emergency services arrival.
“They are always helpful to us.
“Ambulance, police and our fireys as well have assisted this morning with this horrific scene.”
Two people have already died in separate crashes on the Bruce Highway near Koumala this year.
Sixth year medical student Yi-Jing Zeng had packed up her Suzuki Swift and set off south along the Bruce Highway to begin her placement at Biloela, the next step toward her dream of becoming a physician.
But tragedy struck when Ms Zeng’s car and a truck collided 10km south of Sarina in March in the middle of heavy rain.
A 50-year-old man died after a horror fiery crash north of Koumala in February when a ute and a truck collided.
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