Jemmah Lorraine Cole-Crighton dies after stolen car hit tree

A Toowoomba woman has died after a stolen car lost control and crashed into a tree in the early hours of Friday morning.

Toowoomba woman Jemmah Lorraine Cole-Crighton has died after she allegedly crashed a stolen car into a tree on the Warrego Highway.

The car burst into flames and left Ms Cole-Crighton with catastrophic burns to most of her body.

She was flown to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital where she later passed away.

The crash also left her passenger, a Toowoomba man aged in his 20s, with a serious head injury and extensive burns.

A Queensland Police spokeswoman said a grey 2009 Toyota Camry was stolen from the Hooper Centre car park between 6-6.30am on Tuesday and left the Warrego Hwy and collided with a tree about 2am on Friday.

A passing motorist raised the alarm and emergency services promptly extinguished the blaze.

Jemmah Lorraine Cole-Crighton allegedly crashed a stolen car into a tree on the Warrego Highway.

Rescue choppers were called in and the couple was flown to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital for treatment.

The westbound lanes of the highway were closed until about 7am.

A truck driver reported seeing the Camry driving into oncoming traffic shortly before the crash.

The Toyota Camry that was involved in a serious crash in the Warrego Highway, Friday, January 13, 2023.

He was travelling eastbound along the Warrego Hwy over the crest of the hill at the Forest Hill – Fernvale Road intersection when he saw the car coming straight at him.

“It scared the crap out of me,” he said.

“I was hauling a loaded road train to Brisbane and all of a sudden a car veered onto your side of the highway heading straight towards me.

“I hit the brakes and moved as safely as I could as it flew past.”

“Roughly 45 minutes later I heard of a traffic accident and sure enough it was the same vehicle.”

A man and woman suffered serious injuries after a stolen 2009 Camry crashed on the Warrego Highway at Helidon about 2am on January 13, 2023. Photo: 7News.

There were multiple sightings of the vehicle across Toowoomba in the days after the theft.

It is understood the Camry’s owner had arrived late to work on Tuesday and briefly left her handbag and keys in the vehicle.

She rushed back to her vehicle but it had been stolen within minutes.

“We feel sick literally and because the keys were left in the car by accident and I’m not sure that insurance is going to help us,” she said.

“So I’m over angry that’s for sure.”

The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating and appealing for witnesses, especially those with dashcam vision of the crash or the moments leading up to it, to come forward.