Seriously injured teen flown to Brisbane after motorcycle crash

A 17-year-old motorcyclist has suffered serious injuries after colliding with a ute while riding with another teen. It comes as police reveal the death toll from motorcycle accidents in Queensland has already exceeded last year.

The forensic crash unit is investigating a serious crash at Rockhampton which left a teen with critical injuries.

A teen motorcyclist has been transferred to a Brisbane hospital after he suffered serious injuries in a crash at Rockhampton on Saturday night.

The 17-year-old Gracemere boy was riding with a 16-year-old pillion passenger from Allenstown – when a motorbike and a white Ford Ranger collided at the intersection of Barrett Street and Capricornia Crescent.

The young rider sustained critical head injuries and was taken to Rockhampton Hospital while his passenger sustained non-life-threatening injuries to his head and wrist and was taken to the same hospital.

The 17-year-old boy was later transferred to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and on Monday morning was reported to be in a serious but stable condition.

His passenger also remains in hospital in a stable condition.

The driver of the Ford, a 36-year-old Norman Gardens man, was not physically injured.

Police are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with dashcam vision from the area to come forward.

The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating.

The crash happened just after another serious accident further south at Gladstone where a police car rolled outside a shopping centre on the Dawson Highway.

The senior officers were not seriously injured but the car was on its side, blocking traffic for several hours.

Investigations into that crash are also continuing.

51 MOTORCYCLISTS LIVES LOST IN QLD THIS YEAR

Police say motorcyclist deaths in Queensland in 2023 have already exceeded previous years, with 51 lives lost as of August 11, compared with 40 at the same time in 2022.

In Queensland, 31 per cent of road fatalities as of July 2023 were motorcyclists, far above the national average.

Police said on the weekend that many of the deaths were preventable, with excessive speed often a contributing factor.

They have urged riders to focus on safe riding, ride to the conditions, maintain their riding skills and wear effective safety gear.

“Whether a motorcyclist is an experienced rider or starting out, they should be aware that they have fewer protections than other road-users and that they are far more likely to die or suffer serious injuries as a result of a crash.

Motorists are also urged to be on the lookout for other road-users, including checking your blind spots and make sure you indicate before changing lanes or turning.