Boy, 10, dies two weeks after serious Cape York crash on Peninsula Development Road
A 10-year-old boy has succumbed to injuries sustained in a Cape York car accident two weeks ago, making him the final victim added to the worst Queensland road toll in more than a decade
Cairns
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A 10-year-old boy has succumbed to injuries sustained in a Cape York car accident two weeks ago, making him the final victim added to the worst Queensland road toll in more than a decade.
Police said the Rocky Point boy died in the early hours of the January 1 in Cairns Hospital, tragically bringing Queensland’s road toll for 2022 to 299 - the most since 2009, when 331 people died.
The boy was a passenger in a Toyota Landcruiser travelling on the Peninsula Development Road near the Hahn River Roadhouse, 82km north of Laura, on December 18.
Police said around 5.30pm, the vehicle left the road and hit a tree.
The 10-year-old was flown by the Royal Flying Doctor Service to Cairns Hospital with significant head injuries.
The driver and other passengers were treated for minor injuries.
Forensic Crash Unit investigations are continuing.
The boy’s death followed the death of 20-year-old Jasmyne Lloyd and her 80-year-old passenger after the car they were travelling in was hit by a falling tree in the Glasshouse Mountains on New Year’s Eve.
Acting chief Superintendent Christopher Stream said the “fatal 5” – speeding, drink and drug driving, fatigue, seatbelts and mobile phones – were a major contributor to the state’s “horrific number”.
“These are people’s lives that have been lost, and largely the majority of these accidents were preventable,” he said.
“We know that we’ve seen increased levels of vehicle travel and traffic across the road network since we’ve moved out of (Covid) restrictions, and what we’ve seen is increased risky behaviour.
“We have seen drivers selfishly taking to the roads being drug and drink affected, and we know that significantly increases your chances of being involved in a fatal traffic accident.
“Selfishly placing their lives at risk, but also the lives of others.”
The toll included more than 70 motorcycle riders and 29 pedestrians who lost their lives, while 12 people died after their vehicles were driven into flood waters.
“We can’t simply talk about those lives as statistics,” Mr Stream said.
“We will be introducing some new strategies across and throughout this year in an effort to tackle those road crashes and reduce the lives lost.”
Mr Stream said there would be increased roadside breath and drug testing, further rollout of point-to-point cameras across the state, and more red light and speed cameras.
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