Bloomsbury Bruce Highway crash investigations ongoing as Brisbane man critical

A Brisbane man remains in a critical condition and a Townsville man is still in hospital more than a week after a horror three-car crash on the Bruce Highway between Proserpine and Mackay. LATEST

Aftermath of a crash on the Bruce Highway at Bloomsbury involving two trucks and a car on August 1, 2024. Two people, a man in his 70s and a man in his 20s suffered life threatening injuries and had to extricated. Two other people walked away from the crash stable. Photos taken at 6pm. Picture: Janessa Ekert

A 72-year-old man remains in a critical condition more than a week after a horror three-car crash on the Bruce Highway between Proserpine and Mackay.

The man from Clifton Hill in Brisbane was driving a Mazda CX-5 at Bloomsbury when the vehicle was forced off the road and into nearby bushland at Bloomsbury on Thursday, August 1.

Forensic Crash Unit Officer in Charge Sergeant Michael Hollett said initial investigations suggested a Toyota LandCruiser ute, which was travelling north, had drifted into the southbound lane of the highway and struck a Isuzu truck with a dog trailer which was ahead of the CX-5.

The aftermath of a crash on the Bruce Highway at Bloomsbury involving two trucks and a car on August 1, 2024. Two people, a man in his 70s and a man in his 20s suffered life threatening injuries and had to be extricated. Two other people walked away from the crash stable. Picture: Janessa Ekert

The Clifton Hill man suffered life threatening injuries to his head and was flown to Townsville Hospital where he remains in a critical condition 10 days on, according to a spokeswoman from Townsville Hospital and Health Service.

His passenger, a 69-year-old Clifton Hill woman, received minor injuries and was treated at Mackay Base Hospital as was the driver of the Isuzu truck, a 61-year-old man from Sarina just south of Mackay, and a passenger in the LandCruiser, a 34-year-old man from Mundingburra in Townsville.

The driver of the LandCruiser, however, did not fare as well as he was pinned under the upturned vehicle which was a mangled wreck.

Motorists among the first on scene at a horror crash in Bloomsbury helped to lift a LandCruiser ute which was pinned on top of the driver. Picture: Janessa Ekert

The 21-year-old man from Kelso in Townsville suffered significant injuries to his head, face, hip and arm and was flown to Townsville in a critical condition.

A motorist, who was one of the first on scene, told the Daily Mercury “they were confronted with a horrendous scene and injuries” with the Kelso man “missing a lot of his face”.

She and others used their hands to lift the ute off him “in hope we could have a chance to save him”.

The Townsville HHS spokesman said the 21-year-old was still in hospital but no longer critical.

The Daily Mercury asked the Queensland Police Service if any charges had been laid over the crash with a spokesman responding that “investigations are still ongoing”.

Witnesses or anyone with information is urged to come forward quoting reference number: QP2401297444