Three people killed on Darling Downs roads in horror weekend

Emergency personnel are reeling after a horror weekend on our roads, with back-to-back fatal crashes across the Darling Downs.

A 64-year-old Greenmount woman died as a result of two-vehicle crash at Greenmount of February 16, 2025.

Police are pleading with drivers to slow down and abide by the Fatal Five after a horror weekend on our roads that claimed three lives in separate crashes.

Frances Rooke, a 45-year-old motorcyclist, died in a single vehicle crash about 20km south of Moonie on the Leichhardt Highway on Friday.

She was travelling from Goondiwindi to Gayndah and lost contact with her family about 8.40am, leading police to launch a search and rescue operation.

Polair was deployed to search the highway and police located Ms Rooke dead on Sunday.

Later that day two cars collided head-on near the intersection on Greenmount-Etonvale and McNallys roads at about 6.30pm, at Greenmount.

Frances Lea Rooke died after a single-vehicle crash on the Leichhardt Highway on Friday.

A 64-year-old Greenmount woman was killed in the collision, while the two drivers suffered serious head, chest and leg injuries.

Then at about 10.30pm two trucks collided head-on at Millmerran, causing one of the vehicles to burst into flames.

It is believed one truck was carrying alcohol and the other truck was carrying grain.

One of the drivers succumbed to their injuries and died at the scene while the second was taken to the Millmerran Health Service in a stable condition.

The sad statistics bring the road death toll for the Queensland Police Service Southern Region, which includes Toowoomba, Ipswich and the Westerns Down, to eight.

This is two more than at the time last year.

A 64-year-old Greenmount woman died as a result of two-vehicle crash at Greenmount of February 16, 2025.

Southern Region Inspector David Campbell said both of the head-on collisions were still under investigation but are likely to have been caused by one of the Fatal Five.

“It could be fatigue, it could be inattention, someone using their phone or driving under the influence,” he said.

“Ninety per cent of fatal crashes involve at least one aspect of the Fatal Five.

“Having two crashes on the same evening is very tough on our emergency service personnel who have had to attend those incidents, and is heartbreaking for the families involved.”

The QPS Forensic Crash Unit is investigating the three incidents and anyone with information is urged to come forward.

Phone Policelink on 131 444.