Multiple children dead in car crash at Garbutt
PHOTOS: Townsville Police revealed new details of the moments before a stolen car clipped a roundabout, rolled and collided with a traffic light at Garbutt, killing four teenagers.
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UPDATE 11.30am:
Townsville Police are piecing together the final moments before a stolen car crashed at Garbutt this morning, saying the car was seen driving dangerously before it collided with a traffic light.
Acting Superintendent Glen Pointing, who was visibly shaken this morning, said three girls and one boy were killed when the car they were travelling in clipped a roundabout on Bayswater Rd, rolled and hit a light pole.
The victims are aged between 14 and 18 years old. They were found dead on scene.
The 14-year-old driver was taken to Townsville University Hospital and was discharged this morning. He will be interviewed by police today.
Supt Pointing confirmed the white Kia Sorrento involved in the crash was stolen from a home at Idalia earlier this morning.
The car was spotted driving on the wrong side of the road before the crash.
The Bulletin understands another red stolen car was sighted with the Kia earlier this morning.
Supt Pointing said it was unclear how fast the car was travelling before the impact, but confirmed police sighted it earlier this morning.
They did not pursue the car.
Witnesses at the scene depicted a horrific image, saying the roof of the car was ripped from the body, with barely any parts still left intact.
Pieces of the vehicle were thrown metres from the car and were left hanging from the centre traffic island fencing.
The impact was so great that the traffic lights have been shattered and removed from its casing, while a single tyre remained in the middle of the road about 400m from the crash scene.
Supt Pointing said police would get to the bottom of how the “tragedy” happened.
“It’s a tragedy for the children and for the families and confronting for the first responders, everyone involved,” he said.
“No one wants to see a tragedy like this, it’s a terrible outcome.”
The road is likely to be closed for most of the day.
BREAKING:
Four children have been killed this morning after a crash at a Garbutt intersection.
The children, understood to be between the ages of 12 and 14-years-old, died after the car they were travelling in crashed at the intersection of Duckworth St and Bayswater Rd at 4.30am.
The Bulletin understands the car was stolen.
Shocking photos from the crash scene show the crumpled car by the site of the road with debris scattered metres from the wreckage.
It is understood the car smashed into a traffic light pole.
A Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman confirmed a male in his teens was transported to Townsville University Hospital.
The Bulletin understands the male teen was the driver and has since been discharged from hospital.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk spoke about the incident at a press conference at the Sunshine Coast this morning, saying it was “tragic”.
“This is horrific … four young people have lost their lives … four families would be grieving for a long time to come,” she said.
“It is tragic beyond words.”
Multiple police crews were on scene this morning and the road was still closed.
Originally published as Multiple children dead in car crash at Garbutt
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