Police investigate serious crash at Marian
A husband on his way to work has been killed in an early morning fatal crash in the Pioneer Valley, bringing the Mackay district’s road toll total to 15. UPDATE
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A Mirani man has been killed on his way to work in a horror early morning fatal crash in the Pioneer Valley.
The collision between a vehicle and motorbike occurred about 3am Sunday, October 29, about 3.5km west of Marian.
Mackay Forensic Crash Unit Sergeant Michael Hollett said the silver Toyota Corolla had been travelling on Mackay Eungella Rd, towards Mirani, when it rounded a slight bend in the road.
Sergeant Hollett said the vehicle had come onto a straight section of road and for “unknown reasons has crossed centre lines into the eastbound lane and into the path of the motorbike”.
The Corolla collided head-on with the black Harley Davidson motorbike, near the Peaches Rd intersection.
Sergeant Hollett confirmed as a result of the collision a 35-year-old Mirani man who had been on his way to work at Paget tragically died at the scene.
The driver of the Corolla, a 23-year-old woman also from Mirani who had been driving home from work, was taken to Mackay Base Hospital with facial and rib injuries.
This section of Mackay Eungella Rd had a 100kmh speed limit.
Clayton’s Towing was called to remove the two wrecked vehicles from the roadway, which shows clear signs of the fatal crash.
This is the 16th life lost on Mackay District roads in 2023, and 15th for the road toll tally.
Most recently a 73-year-old Kuttabul man was killed in a freak accident after he was struck by his own vehicle towing a caravan on October 1 on Pinnacle Station Rd in Mia Mia Forest.
It is understood this is not counted in the official road toll.
The FCU is investigating the circumstances of the crash including whether or not any of the fatal five are involved.
Sergeant Hollett said the driver of the vehicle would undergo standard alcohol testing “to rule that in or out”.
“This occurred on a straight section of road and even though there are no street lights, it’s a good section of road,” Sergeant Hollett said.
“Really it should not have happened.
“Now we’re dealing with the loss of life from something that should have been avoidable.”
No charges have been laid over the crash.
Mackay Whitsunday Detective Inspect Emma Novosel this was another difficult conversation police have had to have with a devastated family this weekend, on the back of a fatal plane crash at Finch Hatton that claimed the lives of a Walkerston couple.
“It’s the 15th fatality in our Mackay Whitsunday district this year, 15 too many, 15 too many difficult conversations to have to deliver in the early hours of the morning when a road user was making his way to work,” Inspector Novosel said.
“I would encourage everyone to make safe choices when they’re using the road and to make sure that they get where they’re going safety and that the other road users are afforded the same opportunity.”
Inspector Novosel said the driver was the Corolla was also “devastated”.
“She’s a young woman, only 23 years old, she was travelling from her workplace to her home,” she said.
“I can’t imagine being in her position. I understand she equally is horrified about what’s happened.”
‘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