Mackay fatal crashes: The faces of Mackay’s horror 2022 road toll

An aspiring doctor, a health hero, a 12-year-old twin, a beloved mother, an adored father – these are the treasured faces that make up a heartbreaking statistic. Read their stories.

Faces of Mackay road toll 2022.

An aspiring doctor, a health hero, a 12-year-old twin, a beloved mother, an adored father – these are the treasured faces that make up a heartbreaking statistic.

Twenty-two lives were lost in 20 crashes on Mackay district road in 2022, which is the highest number of traffic fatalities in five years.

The number of fatalities that Forensic Crash Unit officers actually attended was even higher – 28 tragedies.

They include a man driving a car into a dam and drowning on December 17 at East Mackay, two separate fatal tractor incidents at Alligator Creek and Koumala, the tragedy involving a bus at Moranbah.

However Senior Sergeant Michael Hollett said they weren’t included in the official road toll because they had occurred on private property or involved medical conditions.

The causes linked to the 2022 fatal crashes include alleged drink and drug-driving, fatigue, speeding and mobile phone use.

A crash involving a young child really struck a chord with the emergency crews who attended the crash, Senior Sergeant Hollett said.

The 12 year old lost his life when the Toyota RAV4 his mother was driving and a Nissan patrol collided on the Bruce Highway.

“That affected the two officers from (Mackay Forensic Crash Unit) that went because they’ve got kids of their own around that age,” Senior Sergeant Hollett said.

Having to deliver the heartbreaking message to a loved one was “absolutely devastating”, he said.

“More often than not (they) know why you’re there,” Senior Sergeant Hollett said.

Sometimes they’ve already been trying to ring their loved one who is late home and the phone is ringing out, he said.

“They’re checking the news and found out … there’s a crash … and start to put two and two together,” he said.

“So by the time you get there they know exactly why you’re there.

“It’s not easy, no matter how many you do.”

2022 Mackay District road toll

February 2:Clermont health hero Tam Dixon Frewin died in a head on collision with another vehicle about 3.15pm on the Peak Downs Highway at Strathfield, about 25 west of Nebo.

February 4:A 50-year-old man died and flames engulfed his vehicle after it travelled onto the wrong side of the Bruce Highway colliding with a truck near Loloma Rd just before 10pm at Koumala.

February 23:Cairns man Ralph Gibbs, 80, died in a crash on the Bruce Highway and Heronvale Rd intersection about 5.10am at Bowen.

March 1: Kuttabul man Achille Zoile died in surgery after he was found trapped inside a car that crashed into a tree about 4.37pm on Kuttabul Mount Dukes Road.

March 27: Aspiring doctor Yi-Jing Zeng died after her car and a truck collided just before 8am on the Bruce Highway, south of Sarina.

April 18:Alan Atherton, 60, died when the motorbike he is riding and a vehicle collide about 10.25am on the Bruce Highway, near McNeil Rd at Koumala. His daughter Hannah, 19, who was the pillion passenger, is flown to Townsville and died about a week later.

May 1:Whitsunday boy Stirling Edwards-Bland, 12, died in a crash about 6.40pm that injured his twin brother Austen and mother about 6.40pm on the Bruce Highway at Gregory River, about 26km north of Proserpine.

May 6:Glenlee man Darren Holley, 50, when the motorbike he was riding crashed about 4.50pm on the Bruce Highway, near Heifer Creek Bridge at St Lawrence.

May 8:Dysart man Jacob Betts, 24, died when the motorbike he was riding collided with a vehicle at the Horse and Jockey Rd and Meadowlands Rd intersection about 5.05am at Racecourse.

May 8:Sarina father Jordan Blanch, 27, was killed when a car struck him about 5.30am on Sarina Beach Rd.

May 12:Calen mother Casey Munchow, 31, died after the vehicle she was driving was swept away in floodwaters about 5am on Surprise Creek Rd, near Surprise Creek at Mount Ossa.

May 12:Carmila man Toby Turner, 60, tragically died when a vehicle and bus collided about 7.20pm on the Bruce Highway, near Music St at Carmila.

May 14:A 53-year-old man died while travelling south in a single vehicle crash just before 6pm on the Bruce Highway at Bloomsbury, about 1km north of Midge Point Rd.

May 28:Eimeo teen William Baker, 17, died after the motorbike he was riding collided with the Blacks Beach Tavern courtesy bus as it was turning from Blacks Beach Rd into Hancock St about 6.30pm at Blacks Beach.

June 21:New bride Marina Morgan, 29, died when the golf buggy she was a passenger in rolled during a U-turn at the intersection of Whitsunday Bvd and Coral Sea Ave about 4.30pm on Hamilton Island.

August 7:70-year-old Munruben man died in a head-on crash between a Mitsubishi Triton and Toyota Landcruiser about 10.20am on the Bruce Highway at Hampden.

August 12:Hervey Bay man and woman, aged 67 and 62, died on the three-vehicle fatal crash about 11.29am on the Bruce Highway near Gumlu.

September 10:19-year-old Marian man died after the motorbike he was riding and a truck collided about 8am on Marian Eton Rd at Marian.

October 13:Sarina father Jacob Mott, 29, was killed when the Suzuki motorbike he was riding left Edmund Casey Dr and collided with a lamppost about 9pm at Mackay Harbour.

November 9: Townsville dad Dylan Wheeler, 28, died after a Ford Focus and Toyota Hilux were involved in a rear-end collision on the Peak Downs Highway about 6.10am at Coppabella.

Originally published as Mackay fatal crashes: The faces of Mackay’s horror 2022 road toll