Toowoomba woman in her 60s dies after crash on Warrego Highway near Gatton

Named: A Darling Downs family is mourning the loss of a beloved mother and wife following a horrific crash on the Warrego Highway five days before Christmas.

Police are investigating the fatal two-vehicle crash on the Warrego Highway in the Lockyer Valley region, that left six others seriously injured five days before Christmas 2024.

A regional Queensland family is mourning the loss of a beloved mother and wife after the Toowoomba woman was killed in a devastating crash just five days out from Christmas.

Kleinton woman Robyn Hall, 61, was killed on Friday afternoon when a white Toyota Rav 4 collided with the car she was travelling on the Warrego Highway near Gatton at Adare on December 20.

Paramedics rushed to the Lockyer Valley crash about 1.15pm where Mrs Hall, who had been sitting in the back seat of a Honda CRV, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mrs Hall’s husband Jack, who was sitting in the front passenger seat of the car, was taken to Toowoomba Hospital with injuries that required multiple immediate surgeries.

A woman in her 70s was flown to the Princess Alexandra Hospital with potentially life threatening injuries after two vehicles collided on the Warrego Highway on Friday. Photo: LifeFlight Media

It’s understood a 21-year-old family member of the couple was driving the car east bound on the highway when a 4WD travelling in the opposite direction left the road, careening across a median strip, a ditch, and bushes, before fatally colliding with their car.

The young woman was also taken to the Toowoomba Hospital with injuries.

A number of adults and children who were in the Toyota RAV4 travelling towards Toowoomba were also seriously injured in the crash.

A 73-year-old woman who was in the passenger seat and a 10-year-old girl who was in a back seat were flown to Princess Alexandra Hospital.

The driver, 78-year-old Wilsonton man, and a 12-year-old girl were rushed to the Toowoomba Hospital for treatment.

Major traffic delays are impacting the eastbound lanes of the Warrego Highway near Gatton after two-vehicles collided just after 1pm on Friday. Photo: Facebook

Motorist Alicia Jonck, who was among those who experienced delays following the fatal crash on the Warrego Hwy, told this publication a number of commuters rushed to the families aid.

“It was a moment that truly highlighted the character of this community,” she said.

“I want to express my heartfelt condolences to the families affected by this tragedy.

“The professionalism of the first responders and the respect from the public in such a difficult situation was truly remarkable.”

A family is mourning the loss of a beloved Toowoomba woman who was killed in a car crash on the Warrego Highway near Gatton on Friday, December 20. Picture: News Regional Media

Earlier that same day emergency services were called to two crashes.

One occurred on the New England Highway in Highfields with a Queensland Fire Department crew finding a person trapped inside the wreck.

Paramedics assessed three patients, including a man, woman and boy.

The other crash occurred on Tenthill Creek Rd, which resulted in stable people being taken to Toowoomba Hospital with minor injuries.

In what has been a horrific start to the holiday period on Queensland roads, multiple people have been killed in a spate of crashes across the Darling Downs region.

On Monday, December 23, a 66-year-old Torquay man was killed in a fiery two vehicle crash near the intersection of Kingaroy-Cooyar Rd and New England Highway about 2.30pm.

A Queensland Police spokesman said initial investigations into the Cooyar crash suggested a Toyota RAV4 was travelling eastbound when it sideswiped a grey Subaru Outback travelling in the opposite direction.

“The RAV4 continued on before crashing into a tree and rolling,” he said.

Police Forensic Crash Unit (FCU) officers at the scene of a fatal car and truck crash at intersection of Warrego Hwy and Toowoomba Rd, Oakey, Sunday, May 3, 2020. Picture: Kevin Farmer

After a number of people across the district were caught driving at deadly speeds, Darling Downs Chief Inspector Danny Shaw is pleading for the community to “take it easy” on the roads and ensure they arrive at their destination.

“We want people to be able to enjoy the holiday period with their friends and family, that’s what we want, there’s nothing worse than ending up in hospital at Christmas time or worse,” he said.
“The impact is severe, from the impact on family and friends, not to mention it’s a life changing event for many people who have injuries that occur which they never recover from.
“So we really need to reduce that road trauma because it’s not just the fatalities, it’s the injuries that occurs, the time it takes to recover, is lost time with family and away from work.

“You really need to drive to the road conditions and be really careful out there, to be considerate of others and to protect yourself.”