Gregory River man dies in ute rollover at Dingo Beach
Police have revealed the tragic details behind a fatal crash in the Whitsundays where a young man died despite the desperate efforts of another motorist to revive him at the scene.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
*Warning – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised the following article contains the name of a person who is now deceased
The 24-year-old man who died in a horrific rollover in the Whitsundays on Wednesday night had been driving home from the pub, police have revealed.
Detective Inspector Emma Novosel said the Gregory River man had been travelling west along Dingo Beach Rd shortly before 6.30pm when his Toyota LandCruiser “unexplainedly left the road and collided with a culvert”.
The impact caused the ute to roll five times and the man was pronounced dead shortly after.
“(Forensic Crash Unit officers) are investigating and early indicators suggest that speed and distraction may have been a contributing factor to the crash,” Det Insp Novosel said.
“I understand that road is a 100km (/hr) zone; I can’t say how fast he was travelling at this stage.
“It’s probably too early to say (whether drugs or alcohol were a factor) at this time but we do have information that the man had been at a local hotel prior to travelling.”
Det Insp Novosel said the following behind the driver on Dingo Beach Rd was a man of similar age, both of them having earlier been at the pub together.
She said the man had tried to revive the crash victim and was “understandably … probably traumatised” from what they saw.
“It’s something that really impacts you and is something that is difficult to get over,” she said.
“I understand that (paramedics) attended shortly after the accident and at that time, it was determined that the man had passed away.”
Det Insp Novosol said the fatal marked the third death on the roads in the Mackay Whitsunday district within 10 days.
About 7.15am on July 11 47-year-old Gavin Hussey died when the Mitsubishi Lancer he was driving and a cement truck collided on Shute Harbour Rd, the main thoroughfare between Cannonvale and Proserpine.
Then about 9pm that day 50-year-old Bentley Parsgaard died when the ute he was a passenger in was pierced by a coal train on Peter Delemothe Rd west of Bowen.
The driver, also from Townsville, was flown to hospital in a critical condition.
“We have had a further two serious traffic crashes that have resulted in the occupants in those vehicles being transported to hospital requiring medical treatments,” Det Insp Novosel said.
“The loss of one live on our roads is tragic, but the fact that we’ve lost three people … is really, you know, a great concern.”
She said police officers were at a loss to understand why road safety messages were not getting through to drivers who had the privilege to be on the roads.
She said the organisation worked hard to keep people alive including delivering awareness programs to school students from "a very young age”.
“I’m not sure why people continue to put themselves at risk,” she said, adding the tragedies were hurting families, communities, and first responders alike.
She said the Queensland Police Service was providing extra welfare support to its officers in the wake of the crashes, and urged people to observe speed limits; get rid of distractions; focus on the road; not consume alcohol or drugs that could impair their ability to safely drive; wear their seatbelt; and not drive tired.
“Fatigue is a major issue for divers on our road and certainly the two serious crashes where we didn't have a fatality, (it) would indicate that fatigue may be a contributing factor,” Det Insp Novosel said.
The fatal brings the district’s road toll to nine for 2023.
‘Danger to the community’: Mum barred from the road until 2040
A Qld mother of three had been slammed for her terrible driving behaviour following a three month crime spree spanning from the Fraser Coast to Mackay, and involving aiming a vehicle at police officers.
Read more
Award-winning DJ with 200k followers faces criminal charge
A Qld musician who has played to major festivals and crowds and claimed he was “partially paralysed” by the Covid vaccine, has been charged following an alleged break-in.
Read more