‘Horrific scene’: Two dead, car bursts into flames after horror highway head-on

Two men have died after a horrendous collision which saw one vehicle burst into flames in Central Queensland. Now police have revealed one driver appears to have made a fatal mistake. VIDEO, PICTURES

Police believe a “poor decision” by one driver could have been behind an horrific head-on collision that killed two men on the Capricorn Highway west of Rockhampton on Tuesday evening.

Initial police investigations have indicated a Mazda 3 was travelling east near Duaringa, about 107km from Rockhampton, just after 8pm, when it collided with a Toyota HiLux travelling in the opposite direction.

Rockhampton Highway Patrol Officer in Charge Senior Sergeant Ewan Findlater said the crash was “horrific for all involved”, with the Mazda 3 bursting into flames due to the impact of the crash.

He said it was a “tragic indication of what happens when someone makes a poor decision”.

“Even though it is early in our investigation, and we are looking at all the possible causes or factors, it does appear at the early stages, that it has been a poor decision made by a driver has led to a double fatality,” Snr Sgt Findlater said.

“One of the vehicles has caught on fire on impact and effectively gone up in flames … quite a confronting scene for all emergency services and those who tried to stop for assistance.”

Both vehicles were left in horrific condition. Picture: Emma McBryde.

The Forensic Crash Unit, who attended from Rockhampton, are in the early stages of their investigations however it appears one vehicle was overtaking some other vehicles.

“We are looking at the manner of driving and also the speed involved,” Snr Sgt Findlater said.

“It is early in the investigation so there is a fair bit of work to be done.”

A third vehicle, a cattle truck, which was believed to be one of the vehicles being overtaken, sustained some damage as a result of the impact of the two vehicles.

Duaringa is located approximately 100 kms southwest of Rockhampton.

The cattle truck driver received no physical injuries and has been able to help police piece together what happened.

“When you’ve got eyewitnesses to a crash it allows for a clear starting point for the investigation and we look at the physical evidence as well, we put it all together and a report will be prepared for the Coroner,” Snr Sgt Findlater said.

“There were a number of drivers who saw the actual crash, we do have some witnesses.

“If anyone else has information contact Crimestoppers.”

Although the site of the crash is close to a number of mine sites, Snr Sgt Findlater was unable to shed any light on whether the drivers might have been miners.

The crash scene near Duaringa.

“Obviously that will form part of our investigations, where the drivers were travelling to and from, what they had done prior or during the day,” he said.

The highway was closed for some hours into the night after the crash and reopened early on Wednesday morning.

Many others took to Facebook to pay their respects to the lives lost.

The road is used by many going to and from mining shifts.

Debris left on the road the following morning at the site of the head-on collision 12kms east of Duaringa.

“My extreme sadness goes out to the families of those involved. I know the worry many families have with their family members driving that road before or after shifts,” Melinda Howell said.

“It’s a dangerous road. Hardly any safe areas to over take. People risk it all the time. Usually full of trucks and nowhere to get around them,” Beau Henebery said.

The stretch of highway where the crash occurred.

There have now been more than 180 fatalities on Queensland roads from 170 plus crashes to date.

There have been 23 fatalities in Central Queensland.

“Every road user has an important role, no matter what you are doing, riding a car, a motorcycle, whether you are a pedestrian, a bicycle rider, you need to make good decisions, you need to concentrate 100 per cent on what you are doing, you need to drive to the conditions, we need to be switched on and making good decisions,” Snr Sgt Findlater implored.

The road where the head-on collision occurred.

“Unfortunately from time to time, people make poor decisions and when we are really unlucky, we have outcomes like this.

“We talk all the time about drivers making good decisions, and that’s everything from the speed you travel to where you overtake vehicles to whether or not you turn in front of another vehicle.”

The Capricorn Highway crash comes after 46-year-old Quarrico truck driver, James Rolph, died when his prime mover rolled after colliding with a road train along Moranbah Access Road, near Cunningham Way on Sunday.

Sunday’s fatality marks the twelfth death on Mackay Isaac Whitsunday roads this year and the seventh since July 3.

Originally published as ‘Horrific scene’: Two dead, car bursts into flames after horror highway head-on