Danyelle Williams killed in car crash just hours before New Year

Family and friends are remembering the young woman who was killed when the vehicle she was driving crashed into a tree in the final hours of 2023.

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this story contains the name and image of a deceased Indigenous person.

Family and friends have paid tribute to the young woman tragically killed when the vehicle she was driving in hit a tree just hours before the end of 2023.

Danyelle Williams, 20, was ejected from the vehicle when it crashed outside Warwick at 10pm on December 31.

Initial investigations indicate the utility she was in was heading west on Warwick-Killarney Road when it left the road and hit a tree near the intersection of Donovan Road.

She died at the scene.

In a shared statement, Danyelle’s family members said they remembered her as a “beautiful, outgoing woman” who had a “heart full of gold”.

“(She was) someone that always had a smile on her face, someone that’ll walk into a room and make everyone smile if they were feeling down,” they said.

“She was definitely one-of-a-kind and is going to be dearly missed.

“Remember to cherish your family members because you don’t know how long they have left with you.”

Danyelle Williams

On Monday morning, police revealed they believed Danyelle was not wearing a seatbelt when the crash occurred.

Her death was the final on Queensland roads in 2023, bringing the yearly road toll to 277.

Assistant Commissioner Chris Stream revealed on Monday the road toll was 20 fewer than last year.

“We won’t be forgetting about those 277 lives and neither will the families that have been affected,” he said.

“We will be doing everything we can in 2024.”

About 70 of the lives lost on Queensland roads in 2023 were motorcyclists, which Assistant commissioner Stream said was well above the national average.

“If you are riding a motorcycle … we ask that you use extreme caution. you are absolutely vulnerable when you are on the road network,” he said.

Police will continue their high-visibility Operation Mistletoe on Queensland roads during the New Year holiday period.

Officers have conducted nearly 45,000 random breath tests across the state.

They resulted in 620 drink driving charges.

There have also been 2500 drug tests, leading to 562 drug driving charges.