Three killed in three hours
Published 2:08p.m. 15th January 2009
Updated 5:19p.m. 15th January 2009
Two children died when three cars and a truck crashed on the Sunshine Motorway. Photo: John McCutcheon.
Three people have been killed in a horror day on Sunshine Coast roads.
The latest death came about 5pm when two cars crashed in a head-on collision on David Low Way at the Town of Seaside.
It is believed two people have also been seriously injured.
No further details are known.
Two young women were killed and a man was seriously injured less than three hours earlier when a concrete truck slammed into three cars on the Sunshine Motorway, north of the David Low Way exit at Pacific Paradise about 2.10pm.
The sisters, 17 and 18, were passengers in a green Subaru that was stopped behind two cars at road works.
Investigations are continuing but it is believed a concrete truck driver failed to stop and slammed into the line of waiting cars from behind.
The father of the girls was rushed to Nambour General Hospital where he was in a stable condition about 4.30pm.
The motorway has been reopened and David Low Way is closed near the Town of Seaside.
Police are urging motorists to avoid the area.
More information about both crashes will be published as it becomes available.
Another person was killed in a crash near Toowoomba this morning.
David Low Way and Sunshine Motorway
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Recent Comments
Sunshine Coast - SLOW DOWN, THINK, TAKE CONTROL AND DRIVE FOR OTHERS ON THE ROAD.
So far not a good year for the Sunshine Coast is it!
It's a matter of every single person trying their best to minimise those things while driving. Ask yourself, is it imperative that I change the radio station now or wait until I get to a red light? Do I really need to get my baby's dropped toy while travelling along at 70kph? What if we both died if we crashed into a power pole as a result?
Consequences for split second decisions on the road are EVERYWHERE. You choose whether they are good or tragic.
Come on, wake up - all of us - and pay attention.
As 10 News is dispatching a news crew to the crash scene; what more can we do. Apathy is also in play and there's only a limited amount that governments can do. However, one point that I would make in response to what I saw on the news, there must be a review by both Queensland Police, Department of Transport and Department of Main Roads re the operations of traffic controllers including various work gangs whether local council or Main Roads, Road Tek need to do more re the placement of various road work signage. Should portable signage boards that display a message be used more on our roads especially around road works and within a 1klm from road works? My thoughts go out to the truck driver and those who lost a loved one. We know that road usage is on the increase.
I feel sorry for those who have lost loved ones.
Sympathy to all the families from today's accidents.
It takes just a moment of madness, that second of inattention, going just a little over the speed limit, that extra drink at the pub or driving for just a minute too long and families’ lives can be destroyed forever.
While more police on patrol, and better roads no doubt contribute to a safer environment for us all, the common denominator in most of the accidents on Coast roads in the past year has been driver error.
As responsible adults, we should not need the reminder of a speed camera or a random breath testing unit for us to do the right thing.
Certainly speed cameras have little effect on changing driver behaviour, given it is some time after the offence that a notice is sent.
More police on our roads are a more effective visual deterrent but surely given the number of fatal accidents we have seen in this region we should get the message loud and clear that it’s time for us all to slow down.
Extra traffic on our roads at tourist times, our narrow motorways, and many roadworks mean there is just little room for error.
Yet every day we see motorists trying to juggle mobile phones, changing CDs, bending down to grab something on the floor – while still trying to drive a car.
Remember, just one mistake could cost it all.
- Editor
I am appalled at the amount of people still driving insanely, talking on their phone texting and cutting in front of people One mistake has torn a families life in half.
As I've said before, something that is much needed is proper defensive driving courses for all new/young drivers. Refresher courses for drivers already with their licences would be great, too. Why isn't the huge revenue from the 50,000 speeding offences in our region last year put towards to helping provide that?
PLEASE, QLD GOVERNMENT: Teach us young people defensive driving as a compulsory part of the licensing process. These courses include hazard perception and good driving skills/attitudes. Once you start doing this, you'll help young drivers be far more competent, and the best they can be. Currently we're missing out on the excellent training out there (Roadcraft, Safe Drive etc.) We have to start somewhere!
My thoughts and prayers are with the families involved in all the accidents today - those who have lost loved ones, and those who are still here to remember it :-(
In light of the terrible accident on the motorway today it calls into question driver's inattention to speed signs around roadworks. Not only are they putting their own lives at risk when then do not slow down, but other road users and workers on the construction site.
My deepest sympathies to all the families involved - my heart breaks for you.
for anyone who was a witness or familyand Friends, of the victims
It's a free service.
Could it just be a tragic accident?!
I totally agree with all the messages about the need to concentrate on driving and driving alone when you are behind the wheel. We all follow swerving cars these days. The drivers are not drunk, just pre-occupied.
It is also noted that according to the traffic camera at the Pacific Paradise exit, the traffic is still being diverted of the motorway some 6 hours after the accident.
It is obvious from the damage done to the vehicles that this was NOT a 60km or less crash after 10 metres or so of skid marks.
My heart goes out to the parents and any siblings of the girls.
Your editorial comment was heartbreaking and incredibly insightful.
I hope that your employer has a good staff support and debriefing system so that your vicarious trauma (trauma by being exposed to a situation rather than being the victim) does not have long term negative consequnces for you, but thank you for sharing your thoughts and opinions on this matter, it provides a necessary realness to the factual reporting that I think we all become quite desensitised to when we pick up the paper and yet again theres been a road fatality!
Beautiful girls, what a loss!
Watch the behaviour when police cars are spotted regularly or when a white van is parked by the side of the freeway..in the 70's they had a fake patrol cars with lights and a policeman pointing a radar gun it was a billboard permanently mounted by the roadside on the way to the gold coast from Brisbane. A lot can be gained by outwitting drivers and reminders other than the crosses and shrines we regularly see.
Look how fewer motorcylists are the cause of the accident, this is because we have both hands and feet on the job, no diversions like music and a need to really concentrate and be on the lookout, you feel much more vunerable so you remain alert, never heard of the rider going to sleep at the handlebars do you ? its all the distractions that are the biggest problem. Cars should be fitted with hands free operation to be able to use a phone in a car, not sticking it in their ear or even worse texting would help
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