Witness to horror Bruce Highway crash says praised heroic off-duty paramedics

A witness to a serious motorbike and truck crash that shut down the Bruce Highway and put a man in intensive care says off-duty paramedics may have saved his life. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

A witness to a serious Bruce Highway motorbike and truck crash that left a rider critical says the actions of two off-duty paramedics potentially saved the young man’s life.

Police were forced to close the northbound lanes of the Bruce Highway at Caboolture after the crash happened about 1pm on Tuesday, September 21.

Critical care paramedics rushed the rider, a young Caboolture man, to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in a critical condition.

Buddina woman Lisa Howson was asleep as a passenger in a car behind the crash but woke as the brakes slammed.

She said she saw a flash of yellow and blue hi-vis of the rider fly across in front of them.

Ms Howson said she and her partner raced to the man who were soon followed by two off-duty paramedics.

She said a doctor nearby also attended and helped.

“His breathing sounded like his lungs were filling with liquid,” Ms Howson said.

“I tried to reassure him but he wasn’t there.

“Luckily the paramedics acted swiftly which I’m certain saved his life right there.

“I didn’t think he was going to make it until the ambulance arrived.”

The Burpengary Forensic Crash Unit is investigating the incident.

A Queensland Police Service spokesman said the man, 26, remained in a critical condition in the intensive care unit at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital days after the crash.

Ms Howson said the man’s bike had been carried about 100 metres from where it had flown across in front of them.

7 News Brisbane helicopter footage of a serious truck and motorcycle crash on the Bruce Highway at Caboolture. Picture: 7 News

She said the front wheel of the bike had disintegrated.

“There was debris everywhere,” she said.

“He had an obvious head injury and his helmet had a massive split through it and was away from him.

“His clothes were patchy and he had severe grazes. It looked like his arm was broken and possibly had leg and internal injuries.”

She said the scene was traumatic.

The highway was shut down by police for more than an hour and it created major delays for motorists headed to the Sunshine Coast.