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Warrego Highway tragedy: Girl, 1, among three killed in two horror truck crashes

Police have confirmed a one-year-old girl was among a family of three from Roma killed in one of two separate collisions involving trucks on the Warrego Highway just outside of Toowoomba.

Emergency services at scene of serious Oakey crash

A one-year-old girl from Roma was among three people killed in a crash horror which involved two collisions.

The first fatal crash involved a truck and a car, while that caused a second between two trucks on the Warrego Highway at Oakey on Tuesday morning.

A mother, father and child from the one sedan all died in the first collision.

Police said a 40-year-old Roma man, a 38-year-old Roma woman and the child were killed.

The first collision happened about 11.15am between an eastbound sedan and a westbound truck at about 11.15am.

Emergency services at the scene of a serious crash involving a truck and car on the Warrego Highway near the Oakey Creek bridge. Photo: Nev Madsen.
Emergency services at the scene of a serious crash involving a truck and car on the Warrego Highway near the Oakey Creek bridge. Photo: Nev Madsen.

“As a result of that crash, a second collision has occurred between the westbound truck and another eastbound truck,’’ police said.

“The sedan was carrying four occupants and sustained significant damage in the collision.

“Three occupants, a 40-year-old Roma man, a 38-year-old Roma woman and a 1-year-old Roma girl, died at the scene.

Three people from Roma, a man, woman and a 1-year-old girl were killed in the sedan. They are believed to have died instantly after their vehicle collided with a truck on the Warrego Highway at Oakey. Photo: 9 News
Three people from Roma, a man, woman and a 1-year-old girl were killed in the sedan. They are believed to have died instantly after their vehicle collided with a truck on the Warrego Highway at Oakey. Photo: 9 News

“The passenger and fourth occupant, a 36-year-old Roma man, sustained non-life threatening injuries and is assisting police with inquiries.” The driver of the westbound truck, a 20-year-old Kearneys Spring man, sustained non-life threatening injuries and was taken to Toowoomba Hospital.

Police at the scene said it was not clear what caused the crash. It was not raining at the time and road conditions were not to blame, police said.

The driver of the eastbound truck, a 55-year-old Brendale man, was not physically injured and is assisting police with inquiries.

Firefighters used jaws of life equipment at the scene but the family from Roma could not be saved. This picture shows the airbag in the wreckage. Photo: 9 News
Firefighters used jaws of life equipment at the scene but the family from Roma could not be saved. This picture shows the airbag in the wreckage. Photo: 9 News

The Forensic Crash Unit will investigate the circumstances of the collision and appeal for witnesses, especially those with dashcam vision or CCTV of the crash, or the moments leading up to it to come forward.

Several emergency service crews were called to the scene of the crash on the Warrego Highway between Dalby and Toowoomba.

The scene of the triple fatality on the Oakey Bridge. Photo: 9 News
The scene of the triple fatality on the Oakey Bridge. Photo: 9 News

Earlier, a QAS spokeswoman three people were in a critical condition and while a rescue chopper was initially tasked, sadly all three were declared dead at the scene.

9 News earlier reported the victims of the crash are a mother, father and six-month-old child.

One patient was transported to Toowoomba Hospital in a stable condition, after they sustained a leg injury.

The scene of a two-vehicle crash involving a truck and a car on the Warrego Highway near the Oakey Creek bridge on January 24, 2023. Photo: Nev Madsen.
The scene of a two-vehicle crash involving a truck and a car on the Warrego Highway near the Oakey Creek bridge on January 24, 2023. Photo: Nev Madsen.

A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman said the forensic crash unit was at the scene and investigations into the cause of the horror incident were underway.

The Warrego Highway had been closed since about 11.20am, and was expected to remain closed for a number of hours. Diversions were in place.

A spokeswoman from QFES said the crash involved multiple trucks and a car.

She said firefighters worked to gain entry to a vehicle where people appeared to be trapped.

Original URL: https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/emergency-services-working-to-free-people-after-serious-crash/news-story/e6b0237cd3fabf043f91d8312a69c5d7