Loved ones pay tribute to 37-year-old Brendan McGuire killed in Bruce Highway crash

A 37-year-old father and Hudsons Circus stage manager was trying to “turn his life around” before he tragically died in a horror crash on the Bruce Highway.

Brendan McGuire was identified as the victim of a horrific Bruce Highway crash outside Bowen on March 24, 2025.

Tributes are flowing after Bowen father and circus stage manager Brendan McGuire tragically died in a two-car crash on the Bruce Highway.

Paramedics were called to a scene just outside of Bowen Airport about 5.55am on Monday, March 24 near the Sculley St and Bruce Highway intersections when a car burst into flames after crashing into oncoming traffic.

Brendan McGuire passed away during a fatal car crash outside Bowen on the Bruce Highway.

Mr McGuire died at the scene while two people were rushed to Bowen Hospital before being taken to Mackay Base Hospital in a stable condition.

Mr McGuire died at the scene of the Bruce Highway crash on Monday, March 24.

The devastating scene confronting emergency workers after the inferno.

The 37-year-old Bowen man was on Saturday being remembered as a “loveable larrikin”.

His mother, Kerry Franklin spoke of his “awesome personality” while his stepfather Brendan Franklin said Mr McGuire was a loving father to his daughter and three sons and had been on track to turning his life around after a series of setbacks.

“He was proving himself as an adult and father and unfortunately this has happened,” he said.

“He was the life of the party.

“You could all sit around, and it’d be a boring place and he’d be the one to get up and do something stupid to make everyone laugh and get moving.”

Brendan McGuire was on track to turning his life around, according to his step-father, when he was taken.

Mr McGuire, also known as ‘Scoobs’ to his colleagues, had been living in Bowen at the time and had just recently quit his job as a circus roustabout and stage manager with the Hudsons Circus.

Owner and Manager of Hudsons Circus, Shane Lennon said while roustabouts came and went, Mr McGuire left a lasting impact on the close-knit circus crew.

“I try not to get attached to (roustabouts) because they come for six to 12 months and move onto something else,” he said,

“But I really enjoyed working with him and certainly shed a tear when I heard that he had passed on Monday.

“When he first started, he looked a little scary because he had facial tattoos so a few of the team, especially the mothers, were a little worried about how scary he was and his checkered history.

Brendan McGuire's (Scoobs) stage manager chair. Photo: Contributed

“But within the early weeks they realised that this guy is fantastic, and we all did.

“We all liked our loveable larrikin.”

Brendan McGuire with the Hudsons Circus crew during one of their show nights. Photo: Contributed

Mr McGuire’s cousin, Simone Laundry echoed sentiments by those close to him saying he was “beautiful soul lost in a world gone mad”.

“I saw him try to make better for himself, he was turning his life around after years of bad choices made through a young man’s heart and heartbreak,” she said.

“He was and is proof that no matter how hard life can be, no matter how bad the path we may end up on, we can change, we can change the path, we just have to get off the broken one first.

“Brendan stepped off the broken path and was heading down a better one….”

Hudsons Circus will be holding a memorial on Saturday to remember their hard-working friend who Mr Lennon said always had a smile on his face.

Originally published as Loved ones pay tribute to 37-year-old Brendan McGuire killed in Bruce Highway crash