‘Confronting scene’: Two dead, three hospitalised after horror highway crash

First responders have described the “confronting scene” of a serious crash that closed the Centenary Highway at west of Brisbane that has left two men dead and three people in hospital with serious injuries.

Two men have lost their lives and three other people were critically injured in a horror crash on the Centenary Hwy, southwest of Brisbane.

First responders have described the ‘confronting scene’ they faced in the wake of the crash, which happened about 6.20am on Sunday on the highway between Springfield and White Rock.

QAS Senior Operations Supervisor Kevin Morgan said two vehicles collided head-on and a third vehicle was unable to stop and crashed into one of those vehicles.

The driver of a westbound Mitsubishi, a 22-year-old man from Marsden, and the driver of a Mazda that was travelling eastbound, a 30-year-old man from Mount Warren Park, both died at the scene.

A 32-year-old Deebing Heights woman who was a passenger in the eastbound Mazda was transported to the Princess Alexandra Hospital with serious injuries.

A second passenger in the Mazda, a 28-year-old man from Camira was transported to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital with serious injuries.

The driver of the third vehicle, also a Mitsubishi, a 24-year-old woman from Ripley, was transported to Ipswich General Hospital in a stable condition.

The scene of a three car crash on the Centenary Highway between Springfield and White Rock on Sunday morning. Picture: Richard Walker

The Queensland Ambulance Service said paramedics have taken one of the men to the Princess Alexandra Hospital, and the other to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

Two females were also taken to hospital – a woman in her 20s with leg and abdominal injuries was sent to the Princess Alexandra Hospital and is currently in a critical condition and a female with minor injuries was taken to Ipswich Hospital in a stable condition.

Mr Morgan said the crash site was “quite confronting” when he first arrived.

“Especially given the amount of people that were trapped in the vehicles,” he said.

“An off-duty paramedic was the first one on scene this morning,” Mr Morgan said.

He described the road conditions when the crash occurred as “wet and foggy” and with more wet weather forecast this week, Mr Morgan encouraged people to slow down and drive to the conditions.

“Your vehicle does not handle the way that it does on a dry road.

“So please slow down and give yourself some time to stop or avoid hazards”.

Two people are feared dead and two more have been seriously injured following a crash at Springfield. Picture: 9 News

The horror incident closed the stretch of the highway between Springfield and White Rock for seven hours. It has since been reopened.

The Forensic Crash unit is urging anyone with information or dashcam footage of the crash to come forward.

Queensland Police Acting Inspector Donna Stewart said the Springfield crash was just one of several horrific road incidents over the past few days and that many were as a result of “people not making the right choice”.

“Unfortunately, we’ve seen the consequences with people dying on our roads,” Insp Stewart said.

“It’s very disappointing, the tragic loss of life that we’ve had.”

The scene of a three car crash on the Centenary Highway between Springfield and White Rock on Sunday morning. Picture: Richard Walker

Insp Stewart said the consequences of dangerous actions on our roads can be far reaching.

“They (the consequences) stretch through all of these families, all of the friends,” she said.

“My heart also goes out to the emergency services personnel who are attending the scenes.

“It’s a real tragedy. Our forensic crash investigators have been incredibly busy working incredibly long hours, and they’re getting called to scenes every day”.

Insp Stewart urged people to be more careful and make the right choices when behind the wheel.

“Every one of these accidents is completely avoidable,” she said.

“It’s a decision that you make before you get in the car.

“Are you well rested, have you not been drinking”.

Insp Stewart said drivers should consider more than their own life when they take the wheel but also the lives of their passengers and other motorists around them.