Toowoomba woman’s life turned upside after crash on notorious Back Creek Bridge at Cooyar

A woman’s successful corporate career was shattered in a split second by a motorist's decision to speed through a single-lane bridge on the New England Highway. She joins the chorus of Toowoomba and South Burnett residents demanding change.

Nanango MP and now Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington is yet to make good on her almost decade old promise to fix a dangerous single-lane bridge on the New England Highway.

A weekly commute to work changed the life of Janet Howie forever, her future ambitions shattered in a split second.

Ms Howie was leading a successful corporate career when tragedy struck.

She was rear-ended on the single-lane Cooyar’s Back Creek Bridge while trying to avoid a speeding vehicle in early 2023.

Ms Howie slammed on her brakes, but the vehicle behind her mistakenly accelerated instead of braking and collided with her vehicle.

Now, she has joined the overwhelming chorus of Toowoomba and South Burnett residents calling for Queensland’s government to step up and fund a double-lane upgrade of the bridge.

It is one of the few single lane bridges on a Queensland highway.

Cooyar's single-lane bridge doesn't need to cause a fatality to invoke a tragedy, with residents like Janet Howie whose life has been turned upside down after a crash on the bridge. Photo: Jessica Klein

Nanango MP and now Attorney-General Deb Frecklington made a promise to her constituents eight years ago to fund an upgrade of the bridge if the then LNP government rose to power. 

“I know how many people use the New England Highway every day, and this dangerous single-lane bridge is on my priority list for complete replacement,” Ms Frecklington said in October 2017.

“The upgrade will include a brand-new bridge and a realignment of the approaches to improve visibility.

“The LNP is serious about the safety of regional motorists, and a new Cooyar Bridge will go a long way towards making a journey on the New England Highway much safer.”

Questions to Ms Frecklington in the past few days about upgrading the “dangerous” bridge following a catastrophic crash on June 27 that left a man in his 50s with critical injuries have mostly been ignored.

Multiple LNP insiders have told this masthead her promise is void due to it being made years ago.

Ms Frecklington has mostly ignored questions from this masthead about her promise to fix the bridge. Photo Steve Pohlner

For Ms Howie, she wants the State Government to remember their promise so less people’s lives can be destroyed.

The impact of Ms Howie’s crash on January 3, 2023 left her with post-concussion syndrome, rendering her cognitive function within the lowest three per cent of Australians in their early 40s.

Ms Howie also suffered a slipped disc in her neck.

“Pain management with medication has been unsuccessful, so the next step is getting Botox injections into my skull each month,” Ms Howie said.

The costly procedure will only add to the estimated financial loss of $200,000 in medical expenses and loss of income since the crash.

Physical toll aside, Ms Howie’s mental health has suffered greatly and impacted her ability to work full-time and at a senior level.

“It’s really impacted my mental health, having to adjust to my new capacity,” she said.

In the lead up to the accident, Ms Howie had been travelling that stretch of road once a week for almost a year, well aware of the dangers the bridge imposed.

Northbound traffic has limited visibility when approaching the single-lane bridge. Photo: Jessica Klein

“It was one of those bridges you approached with caution because you never know whether there’s going to be somebody speeding behind there,” she said.

“Everyone knows it’s a dangerous bridge, when I did report the accident to police, the hospital and lawyers through CTP insurance, they all knew someone who’d had an accident on that bridge.”

While the Department of Transport and Main Roads is working on plans for an upgrade to the bridge and its approaches, there has been no financial commitment to the design and construction from the Queensland Government.

Ms Howie said there’s no excuse for the state government not to fund an upgrade.

“It’s a highway and people do fly through there and they know people do, there’s no speed cameras or anything up,” she said.

In the interim, Ms Howie suggested the government could implement a speed camera on the bridge to help keep drivers accountable.

“How many more people have to hurt themselves on that bridge.”

Queensland Department of Transport Minister Brett Mickelberg was approached for further comment, while his response was vague.

“Planning is underway for long-term safety and infrastructure upgrades at Back Creek Bridge at Cooyar,” Mr Mickelberg said.

“For almost 10 years, Labor has been in government in this State and failed to deliver for regional Queensland.

“We are delivering for Queenslanders - who were fed up with a decade of inaction under Labor - on the promises we were elected on last year and are investing a record $42 billion into road and transport improvements across the State – that’s more than ever before.”

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