Gumlu tragedy: Triple-fatal survivor’s horror as bus allegedly veered into wrong lane

Fatigue is being investigated as the cause of a Greyhound bus crash, with claims the service was running behind schedule when it allegedly drifted into the wrong lane on the Bruce Highway north of Bowen, colliding with a caravan.

A survivor of the horror Greyhound bus crash says the service was running behind schedule when it allegedly drifted into the wrong lane on the Bruce Highway north of Bowen, colliding with a caravan.

Police are investigating whether fatigue played a role in the smash that left three dead, including a 56-year-old Townsville woman and two women from Germany aged in their 20s and 30s.

Two men, 23 and 24, remained in a critical condition, and three others were still in hospital being treated for their injuries.

A Townsville woman who was a passenger on the bus said it did not leave Rockhampton until 2am – an hour and 15 minutes behind its scheduled departure.

She described how in the moments before the collision, the bus allegedly crossed the centre-line of the highway about 20 kilometres south of Ayr, smashing into a caravan being towed by a four-wheel drive.

Photographs taken in the immediate aftermath of a horror fatal Greyhound passenger bus crash at Gumlu on the Bruce Highway south of Ayr on Sunday. The bus driver, picture, miraculously survived. Picture: Supplied

An elderly couple in the four-wheel drive survived physically unscathed.

Mackay Whitsunday Forensic Crash Unit officer in charge Sergeant Michael Hollett said initial police investigation indicated the bus had veered into the wrong lane.

He said the incident “happened very quickly” and the driver of the 4WD “did what he could” but had been unable to avoid a collision.

Greyhound on Monday said it could not provide a response to questions about whether or not the bus was running behind schedule, or whether the bus crossed the centre-line as described by passengers.

“Our priority at this stage is continuing to work closely with authorities to gather evidence so we have a better understanding of the course of events that have led to this tragedy, as well as providing support to all involved.”

Photos taken by passengers in the immediate aftermath of the wreck show the bloodied bus driver peering out from the wreckage.

Photographs taken in the immediate aftermath of a horror fatal Greyhound passenger bus crash at Gumlu on the Bruce Highway south of Ayr on Sunday. Picture: Supplied

He miraculously survived with only minor physical injuries.

The eyewitness passenger said the caravan struck the right front of the bus with the deceased and critically injured all sitting in the same area.

She said it was miraculous the bus had remained upright.

Another witness Wayne Donnelly, owner of the Gumlu Fruit Store, on the Bruce Highway near the scene of the accident said there had been multiple wrecks along the “nightmare” highway.

He described the state of the highway near where the accident occurred as “ordinary”.

“They do new roadworks and it needs redoing within 12 months.”

He said the roads could not take sole responsibility.

“It’s not just the roads, it’s the drivers, there’s all different types of drivers out there and some are more impatient than others.”

The scene of the Bruce Highway bus crash at Gumlu between Mackay and Townsville in which three people died and 27 were treated for injuries. Photo: 7News.

Police are investigating how the Greyhound bus carrying 33 people veered into oncoming traffic before coming to rest at nearby railway lines.

Expert forensic crash officers are today watching dashcam footage as they piece together what happened in the moments before the crash occurred about 11am on the Bruce Highway in the Whitsunday town of Gumlu on Sunday.

The impact of the crash forced the van through the windscreen and into the cabin – the van was completely destroyed.

Crews repairing the damaged railway line the morning after a triple fatal crash involving a bus and car towing a caravan along the Bruce Highway in Gumlu on Sunday. Picture: Leighton Smith

Sergeant Hollett said initial police investigation indicated the bus had been travelling north on the highway when for unknown reasons had veered into the southbound lane colliding with the 4WD towing a van.

A third vehicle had also been involved in the crash. It had been travelling behind the van, but no occupants of that vehicle were injured in the crash.

Sergeant Hollett said initial investigations indicated the situation “happened very quickly” and the driver of the 4WD “did what he could” but had been unable to avoid a collision.

Crews repairing the damaged railway line the morning after a triple fatal crash involving a bus and car towing a caravan along the Bruce Highway in Gumlu on Sunday. Picture: Leighton Smith

It is understood a number of passengers were trapped inside the wreckage for some time before they could be removed.

The bus driver was uninjured and the two occupants of the 4WD were also uninjured.

Officers were also piecing together the bus route before the crash.

It is understood it had begun in Brisbane and police were looking into whether there were any further stops after Rockhampton.

Police were looking into where the bus had stopped after Rockhampton.

Members of the community were first on scene at the “very confronting” highway crash, starting first aid for the 27 bus passengers.

Mackay District Superintendent Graeme Paine said it was a “very, very confronting incident” and “very complex in terms of how it happened”, describing it as bordering on a “mass casualty event”.

Because of the rural location, between Bowen and Townsville, it took some time for all emergency crews to reach the crash site.

Superintendent Paine said as a result members of the public had started that initial first aid process.

No one has been charged and investigations are expected to be a lengthy process.

Originally published as Gumlu tragedy: Triple-fatal survivor’s horror as bus allegedly veered into wrong lane