Atherton man Kevin Toward identified as Irvinebank crash victim

The man killed in a head-on crash on a remote road west of Cairns has been remembered as a respected stockman who was on a prospecting trip at the time of the tragedy.

Kevin Toward has been identified as the 64-year-old man killed in a head-on crash at Irvinebank on May 31. Picture: Supplied

The man killed in a head-on crash on a remote road west of Cairns has been remembered as a respected stockman who was on a prospecting trip at the time of the tragedy.

Kevin Toward, 64, died at the scene of a two-vehicle crash at Bakerville on May 31 in an area known to locals Red Hill near Irvinebank.

Mr Toward was a passenger in a Toyota Corolla driven by a 20-year-old Wondecla woman.

The 64-year-old was originally from Tolga but had recently moved into an assisted living unit in Atherton after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Helen Toward, who still lives in the family home at Togla, said her older brother was a slaughterman and butcher by trade but had also spent time working as a ringer on cattle properties in the Mount Surprise area.

She fondly remembers her older brother as a “normal boy” who was always pulling apart machines and was never out of work.

“He loved the bush and that he was always happier when he was out bush,” she said.

“He could turn his hand to anything, carpentry, fencing and tree lopping.

“I remember when Cyclone Larry hit he came in and cleared the trees around his dad’s place.”

Kevin’s work ethic and versatility were well-known and he worked for a period at Ergon Energy doing tree lopping.

Despite moving around a lot, Mr Toward’s roots remained firmly planted on the Tablelands.

He was the eldest of three siblings and was married but later divorced but never had children.

His legacy as a dedicated worker and a man who could always be counted on will be cherished by those who knew him, his sister said.

Youngest sibling Ian Toward deeply impacted by the loss said his brother was out prospecting remote country between Irvinebank and Petford with his metal detector when the accident happened and has

“It’s still a bit raw,” he said.

Mr Toward will be privately cremated ahead of a memorial at the Atherton Hotel on Friday June 13, which coincidently would have been his 65th birthday.

Queensland Police said the forensic crash team was investigating the accident.

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Originally published as Atherton man Kevin Toward identified as Irvinebank crash victim