Qld’s deadliest stretch of the Bruce Highway revealed

The same stretch of road which where a former medic’s valiant attempt to save the life of a woman after her vehicle plunged off a bridge has been named the deadliest in Queensland. SPECIAL REPORT

The same stretch of road which where a former medic’s valiant attempt to save the life of a 51-year-old Mt Cotton woman, after her Mitsubishi Triton plunged off a bridge, has been named the deadliest in Queensland.

It comes after Ken Whittaker recalled the harrowing moment he dived off the Kolan River Bridge between Bundaberg and Gladstone and into the murky waters below.

As the car was being winched up from the riverbed, children’s belongings including lunch boxes, pink school bags and toys floated up to the surface.

Fearing the worst, bystanders cried out “there’s kids in the car!”, which sent a wave of panic through those helping with the rescue.

Despite his heroic efforts, former medic Ken Whittaker and other passers-by were unable to save the life of a 51-year-old Mt Cotton woman whose car plunged off the Kolan River Bridge in January 2024.

While some moved away, taking “the opportunity to get away from what they might see”, Ken was undeterred, and described the relief he felt when he found no children in the car after ripping open one of the back doors.

For those children however, and others from the woman’s family, a lifetime of grief lies ahead following the avoidable loss of another life on the Bruce Highway.

The horror January 21 crash was the ninth fatality on the Bruce Highway in Kolonga, a rural part of northern Bundaberg adjoining the Gladstone region.

Data from the Transport and Main Roads shows that the 12km stretch of the Bruce Highway running through Kolonga has had more crashes involving fatalities than any other part of the notorious highway since 2015.

A drive along the road yields a number of clues as to why Kolonga has attained the dishonourable status of the most dangerous stretch of the Bruce Highway.

The Bruce Highway through Kolonga is a dual carriageway, with no widened centre lines and long stretches of road susceptible to fatigue.

A dual carriageway throughout most of its length, with the occasional stretch of overtaking lanes, it’s tempting to impatient drivers travelling between Central Queensland and the southeast corner.

Long stretches of the highway through Kolonga do not have widened centre lines for affording drivers a greater margin of error and avoiding head-on collisions.

Many signs warning of fatigue also appear on the side of the road, suggesting some may struggle to stay awake on the long, featureless stretches of the highway through the region.

A Transport and Main Roads spokesperson confirmed fatigued and distracted driving were among the major causes of road fatalities throughout the state, along with speeding, drink or drug driving, and not wearing a seatbelt.

Apart from driver error, fatal crash investigations have identified road contributing factors which are now being addressed by TMR, the spokesperson said

Planning has progressed for road improvements on the Bruce Highway from Barton Rd in the northern part of Kolonga south to Damascus Road, 3km north of Gin Gin.

TMR plans to implement intersection upgrades, wide centre-line treatment, road widening, heavy vehicle rest area upgrades and roadside safety treatments along this 45km stretch of the Bruce Highway.

Construction timeframes for the Kolonga upgrades are currently being considered as part of a review of the Bruce Highway upgrade program, with TMR in partnership with the Bruce Highway Trust Advisory Council planning to schedule the upgrades in order of highest priority.

Timeframes for the Kolonga upgrades will be confirmed once this process is complete, the spokesperson said.

Here’s some of the tragedies which have occurred in the region in recent years:

January 21, 2024

A 51-year-old Mt Cotton woman died after her Mitsubishi Triton went off the Kolan River Bridge while travelling southbound at around 11.45am.

Police reports said the car “lost control” on the bridge, with a QPS spokesperson unable to confirm witness reports that the driver had swerved to avoid a loose wheel on the road.

Full story

November 10, 2023

Hervey Bay woman Krissie-Lee Sheridan was found dead in her Toyota Prado on the side of the Bruce Highway near Boundary Gully in Kolonga.

Ms Sheridan had left her Urangan home at 10.30am, planning to drive to her place of work in the Central Queensland township of Blackwater.

Her employer reported her missing when she did not arrive later that day, with police fearing through initial reports that she had taken an unfamiliar road in heavy rain.

The police search culminated in the discovery of Ms Sheridan’s body on Friday, November 12, with reports stating she had been involved in a single-vehicle crash.

Full story

October 12, 2019

Two people died in this fiery head-on collision around 9pm on a Saturday in Kolonga.

A man was incinerated following a two-vehicle crash which also claimed the life of a 60-year old Brisbane man in October 2019.

One of the drivers, a 60-year-old Brisbane man, was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other driver could not be initially identified after he was incinerated when his car rolled down an embankment.

Full story

September 20, 2017

Drugs and reckless speed were the cause of a horrific crash which killed a 41-year-old man, Jamie Tull, and a five-year-old child, Declan Tull.

The wife and mother of the victims, Connie-Lee Williams, was later convicted of dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death, driving under the influence of an intoxicating substance and excessive speeding in Bundaberg District Court.

Connie-Lee Williams was convicted of dangerous driving causing death and drug offences following a crash which took the life of her husband and five-year-old child.

The court heard the Holden Commodore station wagon Williams was driving “sounded like a jet plane” when it was seen travelling along the highway at speeds up to 200 km/h.

While Williams was wearing a seatbelt, the other occupants were not, with Declan found naked at the scene with no child-restraint seats in the vehicle.

Police found 1.65g of meth in Williams’ belongings and a blood test came back positive for the drug.

Williams was sentenced to nine years jail.

Full story

May 13, 2017

A man died following a head-on collision with a ute while overtaking around 8.30am that Saturday.

A man died after veering onto the wrong side of the road in May 2017.

Initial reports from police were that a sedan veered into the path of the ute while travelling northbound, killing the driver of the sedan instantly.

Speaking at the scene, Wide Bay Forensic Crash Unit officer-in-charge Sergeant Steve Webb said he was not sure why the driver veered onto the wrong side of the road.

“I’ve got better things to do with my time then to be standing here in the middle of the highway dealing with these things,” he said.

“The police can only do so much.

“People need to do something to save themselves.”

Full story

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August 9, 2015

Two people were killed in a crash involving a truck and a car.

The drivers of the truck and the car died at the scene, while a passenger was entrapped in the truck and transported to hospital with serious injuries after being freed.

Full story

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Originally published as Qld’s deadliest stretch of the Bruce Highway revealed