Police closer to finding ute driver who fled crash as MP calls for ‘consequences’

A Kawana politician has blasted the state government over Sunshine Coast police numbers as a school bus crash investigation continues.

Emergency services attended a bus rollover at Birtinya. Picture: Contributed.

Police are zeroing in on a ute driver who fled the scene of a crash with a school bus on a major Sunshine Coast road on Monday.

The latest in the police investigation comes as Kawana MP Jarrod Bleijie called on the state government to bring back “consequences for actions” following the incident.

A police hunt is under way for the driver of black Holden ute after a collision with a Currimundi Special School bus which sparked peak-hour traffic chaos on Kawana Way Link Rd, at the intersection of Creekside Blvd, in Birtinya.

Northbound lanes were closed following the incident, reported to emergency services around 3pm.

A bus rolled on its side on Kawana Way Link Rd in Birtinya following a crash. Picture: Contributed.

Sunshine Coast Police Senior Constable Peter Cowan said officers had a “good description” from witnesses, and photographs, they were using to identify the ute driver.

He said four people were on the bus at the time of the incident, the 75-year-old male driver, a 72-year-old woman carer and two teenagers aged 16 and 17.

They suffered minor injuries.

Constable Cowan said the bus was near the end of its drop-off route when the crash occurred.

The police officer said other motorists pulled over to help and had also spoken to the ute driver before he ran away.

“(Running away was) certainly quite callous in terms of there could have been seriously hurt people on that bus,” Constable Cowan said.

He said the ute was reported stolen after the crash occurred and an investigation into that, and the validity of the claim, continued.

Constable Cowan said there were also witness reports of another ute “in manoeuvres” with the ute that crashed, but footage had not yet shown another vehicle.

He said police were appealing for anyone with dashcam footage of the offender running away to come forward.

“We’re certainly close to identification of that individual and that will pan out in due time,” Constable Cowan said.

Kawana MP Jarrod Bleijie says there needs to be consequences for actions following a horror crash at Federal and another crash in Birtinya. Picture: Liam Kidston

Mr Bleijie said “thankfully” no one was seriously injured in the crash.

“There’s this lawlessness in the community and people are getting away with this sort of behaviour,” he said.

“I want to see consequences for actions.”

The politician said the crash in Birtinya followed the tragedy that unfolded in Federal, where a man allegedly driving a stolen vehicle caused a crash that claimed the lives of three people.

Rafferty Raymond Rolfe, 25, of Yandina, has been charged with three counts of murder following that crash on the Bruce Hwy, south of Gympie, on Friday last week.

Mr Bleijie said the state government had reduced the number of police officers on the Sunshine Coast over the past decade.

“We have 10 fewer police on the Sunshine Coast in the last 10 years,” he said.

Police Minister Mark Ryan said the LNP had “zero credibility” when it came to police.

“The LNP sacked police when in government,” he said.

Police Minister Mark Ryan says the LNP has “zero credibility” when it came to police numbers on the Sunshine Coast. Picture: Steve Pohlner

The minister said there were 38 more police permanently based on the Sunshine Coast than there were under the LNP.

“In addition, the government is investing in the construction of a new police facility at Caloundra South, where 30 extra police officers will be based,” Mr Ryan said.

“And the government is making the biggest investment in policing in more than three decades to deliver an extra 2,000 plus personnel.”

The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating and anyone with information about the bus crash, or with dashcam footage in the lead-up to the incident, should come forward.