Man seriously injured, rescue chopper called after truck vs tree crash at Gunnawarra

A 70-year-old man has been airlifted to hospital after a single-vehicle truck crash south of Cairns, while in a separate incident, a large grass fire is impacting a Far North highway.

The QG Air 510 Rescue emergency services helicopter has been called to transport a male patient with leg and head injuries following a single-vehicle crash in Far North Queensland. Picture: Brendan Radke

A 70-year-old-man has been airlifted to Cairns Hospital with a potentially life-threatening leg injury after a single-vehicle crash in Gunnawarra, 204 km southwest of Cairns.

Emergency services responded to reports of a truck crashing into a tree on the Kennedy Highway at 1.20pm on Thursday.

The man remained stuck in the truck for a number of hours following the crash.

A rescue helicopter was called to assist emergency service crews.

Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman confirmed the man was initially being assessed for serious head and leg injuries.

“He’s got serious injuries, but is stable at this stage,” the spokeswoman said earlier on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Mulligan Highway at the Annan River, south of Cooktown, was reduced to one lane on Thursday afternoon as six fire crews responded to a large grass fire.

Earlier in the day, both lanes of the Mulligan Highway were closed as a result of the fire burning close to the road.

“This was not a planned fire,” a Queensland Fire Department spokeswoman said.

Four Queensland Fire Department crews and two Queensland Parks and Wildlife crews were on scene at 8am and are still working to control the blaze.

Mareeba-based assistant chief officer for the Savannah District Rural Fire Service Clint Tunnie said they were asking people to be cautious.

“It’s impacting in and around the highway, we do have traffic control in place and fire crew to try and contain that fire,” he said.

“The fire we believe has been illegallu lit and we have a fire investigator on scene that’s having a look at it.”

Mr Tunnie confirmed the highway had been opened to a single lane.

“It’s about keeping them safe while they are trying to contain the fire,” he said.

Fire crews have been back burning down Archer Point Road.

Originally published as Man seriously injured, rescue chopper called after truck vs tree crash at Gunnawarra