Whitsunday man killed in Preston crash identified as police probe possible causes

Whitsundays fatal crash: ‘It was one person after the other after the other taking turns pumping his chest trying to resuscitate him’

A Whitsunday man killed in a shocking single-vehicle rollover has been identified as a man who had been trying to get his life back on the ‘straight and narrow’.

Shannon Dryburgh, 48, was in the sedan’s front passenger seat when it veered off Conway Rd about 6pm and rolled several times, eventually coming to a rest on its roof in a drain.

Witnesses to the horrific scene recalled the mammoth efforts of emergency services who “went over and above” to try and save the Preston man’s life.

Mr Dryburgh was pinned inside the overturned vehicle before he was pulled from the wreckage where paramedics and police tried to revive him.

He died at the scene. His long-term partner and alleged driver of the car Shontelle Fulton reported chest pain and was taken to Proserpine Hospital for spinal precautions.

It is understood the woman, 41, has since left hospital.

Nearby residents recalled the harrowing scene, rushing to the crash site to help until emergency services arrived.

Conway Road resident Rogin Taylor watched as paramedics attempted to revive Mr Dryburgh for “probably more than an hour”.

“It was one (person) after the other after the other taking turns pumping his chest trying to resuscitate him,” Mr Taylor said.

“They went way beyond what was necessary to try and see if there was any possibility of saving his life.

“They deserve a huge amount of credit.”

Mr Taylor said it took “a very long time” to extract the woman from the wrecked car, and he “couldn’t believe” her injuries had not been more serious.

“It was quite a horrific scene,” he said.

“From the state of the vehicle I expected she would be seriously injured.”

Mr Dryburgh and Ms Fulton had been living together at Mr Taylor’s Taylorwood Tourist Park on Conway Rd for the past couple of years.

Mr Taylor said Mr Dryburgh had spent that time “trying to get back on the straight and narrow” after a recent prison sentence, but “hadn’t quite got there” and did not have a job.

“I think he had some issues in his life but he looked like he was starting to get back on top of things,” Mr Taylor said.

Mackay District Acting Inspector Mick Searle commended the first responders for their efforts.

“The Queensland Ambulance and our responding police did a wonderful job trying to save the male person,” he said.

“It is distressing for everyone involved to go to, and be exposed to, those scenes for long periods of time.”

Forensic Crash Unit investigations are expected to explore whether alcohol was a major contributing factor in the crash, the fourth for the Mackay district so far this year.

Inspector Searle said the investigation was ongoing.

“For reasons we are still investigating, the vehicle has left the road, went down into a drain and rolled several times before coming to a rest off the road,” he said.

“We are still investigating what the contributing factors are so I won’t make direct comment on that now, but it is possible alcohol was a contributing factor to the crash.

“The exact mechanism of the crash is still being investigated.

“We’ve had four lives lost in the Mackay district in 2021 which is four too many.

“Thankfully that is reduced from previous years but it is still four we don’t want to tolerate.”

The state’s road toll was at 133 deaths as at Thursday morning.