Four killed in horror head-on crash on Ipswich Motorway

The driver of a car who killed three members of a southeast Queensland family – including a two-year-old girl – has been identified as an avid drug user. SEE DASHCAM FOOTAGE

The driver of a car that collided head-on with another vehicle while driving the wrong way on the Ipswich Motorway at Redbank, Ipswich, has been identified as 34-year-old career criminal and drug user Calvin Clack.

Mr Clack, a father and electrician, died instantly when he was ejected from the dark blue Ford Focus he was driving.

But the horror collision also killed a 37-year-old woman, her 39-year-old boyfriend and a two-year-old girl, who were trapped in their SUV when it exploded into flames.

Police have confirmed the man, woman and young girl were all from the Darling Downs

The revelations came as dashcam footage emerged of Mr Clack’s car driving on the wrong side of the road in the lead-up to the smash.

The devastating scene. Picture: 7 News

One woman told The Courier-Mail she called ­triple-0 after seeing the Ford driving dangerously, but within moments it had crashed.

“I noticed the vehicle travelling towards me. He flashed his lights and was swerving around, he went past me using the right-hand lane,” she said.

Another witness, Rory Dowdall, said he was travelling about a minute behind the family’s SUV.

He said both cars were fully alight when he arrived at the scene and there were multiple small explosions.

“(The) cars were both engulfed in flames by then – police arrived really quickly and a tow truck driver blocked traffic,” he said.

Calvin Clack, driver of vehicle involved in four-person fatality.

Mr Clack, a career criminal, gave evidence during the 2016 murder trial of Russell Mark Johnstone.

Mr Johnstone was shot four times by a friend – Dallin James Kruithof – who thought he was responsible for taking drugs he had lost.

He later found the drugs in his kitchen cupboard.

The trial was told Mr Clack had regularly supplied Kruithof with drugs and had attempted to procure a pump-action shotgun for Mr Johnstone.

“He has been in and out, in and out (of jail),” a man who knew Mr Clack for a number of years said.

“Huge user of ice and dealing and that sort of (thing).

“It’s sad.

“He was a good fella, but had a terrible addiction.”

The crash pushed Queensland’s road toll to 205.

Emergency service personnel earlier today revealed they were powerless to save the two adults and two-year-old girl trapped inside the fiery wreckage of the crash.

Acting Chief Superintendent Ray Rohweder said any fatal road incident was tragic, but when children were ­involved it was even more traumatic for emergency services personnel.

“This just adds to what has been a terrible year on Queensland’s roads,” he said.

“Attending any fatal or serious traffic crash is very hard on first responders, but when children are involved, it’s particularly stressful.

“It’s horrible that people can be quite innocently going about their business and have their lives taken away in an ­instant by others who are disobeying the law.”

Calvin Clack, driver of vehicle involved in four-person fatality.

Queensland Ambulance Service Acting Assistant Commissioner David Hartley said his thoughts went out to the families of those involved.

He confirmed nothing could be done to save any of the people involved in the tragic event.

“Unfortunately due to the scene and the nature of the injuries there was very little paramedics could do when they were faced with that terrible scene,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Hartley said.

Paramedics will be offered necessary support.

“Our paramedics are very resilient people but they have been faced with a very traumatic set of circumstances, and we have very good mechanisms in place to support our staff.”

Four people, including a young child, have been killed in a terrible crash on a motorway near Brisbane. Picture: 9 News

Queensland Police Acting Inspector Darren Green said last night’s scene was “extremely graphic.”

“It was very confronting for the emergency service crews that attended that night,” he said.

“The male sedan driver was ejected from the vehicle some distance and the occupants of the SUV were unable to exit the vehicle and were located after the fire was extinguished.”

He said since the crash, police have received multiple reports of the car driving dangerously on the wrong side of the road.

All persons involved have now been identified and their families notified, Acting Insp Green confirmed.

The scene of the horror crash in Redbank. Picture: 7 News

He would not comment on the dynamic of the two adults and child from the SUV.

“Unfortunately I don’t understand the full background on the relationship at this time,” he said.

He said identifying the occupants of the SUV was a difficult task.

“Unfortunately due to the nature of the crash it was very challenging,” Acting Insp Green said.

“The first response crews and assisting crews did very well to identify the family members. It’s my understanding they have all been contacted and advised of the situation.”

He said the welfare of attending emergency crews would be monitored in the coming days and offered the necessary support.

“I’ve seen a number of fatal crashes and as I said, this one was extremely confronting.”

It’s unknown if drugs, alcohol or fatigue played a part in the crash, however Acting Insp Green said as with any fatal crash, it would form part of their investigation.

He said the parties from both cars weren’t believed to have known each other, and described the event as what “seems to be a very tragic set of circumstances”.

He said police were looking through CCTV to determine how long the Ford travelled on the wrong side of the motorway and whether it had turned around or crossed over the motorway from the eastbound lanes.

Police did not receive any calls from the public until the “extremely confronting” crash occurred.

One woman said she was forced to swerve around the car she believes was involved in the head on collision on the Ipswich Mwy last night, as it drove towards her and repeatedly flashed its lights.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said under a minute before the horror fatality, she had seen an oncoming car driving on the wrong side of the road.

“I was travelling towards Ipswich on the highway and just passed Redbank,” the woman said.

“Right before the Toowoomba/Esk exit at 2311 I noticed the vehicle travelling towards me. He flashed his lights and was swerving around, he went past me using the right hand lane.”

The woman said as best she could tell, the car was travelling at excessive speeds she believed were somewhere between 150-180km/h.

Having travelled back from a late night hockey game with her partner in the car, the young woman immediately called triple 0 after witnessing the car travel dangerously at excessive speed.

However, she said it was already too late.

“ … At that point it was too late as it would have been not even a minute later the crash happened.”

The woman said she didn’t believe the driver of the car was trying to hit her car.

“ … But at the same time the swerving around was reckless – and at that speed.”

She said her and her partner commented to each other about the dangerous driving and said “we hope a family doesn’t get caught up in his selfish act.”

While another witness, Rory Dowdall, was only a minute or so behind the car carrying the two adults and a child.

He said when he arrived at the scene, both cars were fully engulfed in flames and there were multiple small explosions.

Mr Dowdall said it was only by chance he saw the crash after stopping for a few minutes for a bathroom break while on his way west to Tara for work.

He said within moments of his arrival at the crash, there were over a dozen crews from police, and the fire and ambulance services.

However he believed there was no chance of saving any of the people involved in the crash.

“Cars were both engulfed in flames by then … Police arrived really quickly and a tow truck driver blocked traffic.” Mr Dowdall said.

“(There were) at least eight police cars, another unmarked one … two fire crews who were absolutely amazing, and three paramedics.”

The scene of the crash on the Ipswich Motorway at Redbank Plains. Picture: Natasha Innes

The horrific crash pushed Queensland’s road toll to 205 lives lost since January 1.

Acting Chief Superintendent Ray Rohweder said any fatal road incident was tragic – but when children were involved it was even more stressful for emergency services.

“This just adds to what has been a terrible year on Queensland’s roads,” he said.

“Attending any fatal or serious traffic crash is very hard on first responders but when children are involved it’s particularly stressful.

“It’s horrible that people can be quite innocently going about their business and have their lives taken away in an instant by others who are disobeying the law.”

All westbound lanes of Ipswich Motorway were closed near Mine St for a number of hours overnight. As of 9.40am, one lane remains closed and traffic delays are back to the Logan Motorway.

The crash also blocked access to the Cunningham and Warrego highways.

Crash investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the black sedan prior to the crash to come forward.

Originally published as Four killed in horror head-on crash on Ipswich Motorway