Highway oil slick on bitumen bubbles up in downpour

WET weather is believed to have bubbled up an oil slick on a major highway causing a motorbike rider to crash late last month.

WET weather is believed to have bubbled up an oil slick on a major highway causing a motorbike rider to crash late last month.

Investigations into the crash on January 28 has indicated oil residue from the bitumen on the New England Highway "bubbled up" and caused an oil slick which caused the motorbike rider and his pillion passenger to crash.

"The rider and pillion passenger were travelling as part of a group when they were caught in a heavy downpour," Sgt Dawes said.

"It would appear that oil residue from the road has bubbled up, causing the road surface to become extremely slippery.

"The rider hit a patch of this substance, described as thick foam, lost control and flipped the bike."

The rider suffered a fractured ankle and cuts to his left knee and heel.

His passenger suffered injuries to her left knee.

Paramedics transported the pair to Toowoomba Hospital for treatment.
 

Originally published as Highway oil slick on bitumen bubbles up in downpour