Emergency crews respond to rubbish truck blocking traffic on Kuranda Range
Police have urged motorists to avoid the Kuranda Range until further notice, following a single vehicle rollover on the Kennedy Highway which left a man in a serious condition.
Cairns
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Police have urged motorists travelling between Kuranda and Cairns to make alternate travel arrangements after a rubbish truck rolled on the Kennedy Highway, leaving one man in a serious condition at Cairns hospital.
Queensland Police Service confirmed the Kuranda Range would be closed for most of the day on Thursday.
“The Kuranda Range is expected to remain closed for most of today. Motorists planning to traverse the Kuranda Range should monitor TMR traffic alerts throughout the day and make alternate travel arrangements. Please register for the TMR Far Northern Region SMS traffic alerts as per link below,” a spokesperson said.
The truck driver, a man in his 50s, has been transported to hospital in a serious condition following a rubbish truck rollover on the Kennedy Highway on Thursday morning.
A Queensland Ambulance Services spokeswoman confirmed the driver was transported to Cairns hospital in a serious condition.
“The patient was experiencing a medical incident and was transported in the ambulance with critical care paramedics on board,” the spokeswoman said.
It was unclear if the medical episode resulted in the incident or was a result of it.
Emergency crews remain on scene.
Emergency services responded to reports of a rubbish truck tipped over on its side on the Kennedy Highway at 9.20am.
A Queensland Fire and Emergency Service spokeswoman on Thursday morning confirmed three crews were headed to the scene on the Kuranda Range.
“We have crews on route to the scene in Smithfield … it looks like a rubbish truck has rolled over and is blocking the road,” the spokeswoman said.
The Department of Main Roads and Transport confirmed both lanes, were blocked in both directions, 1km from the bottom of the range.
Prior to transporting the truck driver to hospital, a Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman said one crew was on scene assessing a male patient.
“We’re assessing a male in the vehicle. He’s not trapped but he’s still inside. Crews will work to get him out so we can assess him fully,” the spokeswoman said.
“Looks like there’s a lot of garbage all over the road as well.”
Motorists are urged to use an alternative route.
It follows a separate incident in Kamerunga where emergency services responded to reports of a truck and vehicle crash at 8.32am.
“It looks like it a single vehicle and truck incident. Crews stayed on scene for 10 minutes until a tow truck arrived. It looks like it had been blocking traffic but the road was reopened,” the spokeswoman said.
A Queensland Ambulance spokeswoman confirmed one crew attended however no one involved sustained injuries.
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Originally published as Emergency crews respond to rubbish truck blocking traffic on Kuranda Range
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