April 14, 2015
Seventeen people have died on Queensland roads in the past 14 days – a figure that is alarming police, including Kingaroy Officer-in-Charge Senior Sergeant Duane Frank.
So far 65 people have died on Queensland roads in 2015.
Snr Sgt Frank said the latest death was a pedestrian killed in North Queensland, but the previous three fatalities all involved motorcycles, and at least two were likely linked to excessive speed.
“What can we do to stop people speeding? In a car, people can sometimes be lucky but on a motorbike there usually isn’t a second chance,” Snr Sgt Frank said.
He is appealing to drivers and motorbiker riders to slow down, drive to conditions and watch out for other road users.
The latest three motorbike deaths:
- Friday evening at Beerburrum – a 27-year-old man lost control on Beerburrum Road, began fishtailing, flipped the bike and hit a tree
- Saturday afternoon at Tamborine – a 46-year-old man accelerated away quickly from traffic lights, lost control, left the road and hit a tree
- Sunday afternoon at Chinchilla – a 37-year-old man riding an off-road trail bike on a commonly used track lost control, left the track and hit a tree; he was taken to hospital but died
These motorbike deaths also follow five well-publicised recent motorbike incidents in the South Burnett:
- March 24 – a fatal traffic crash between a motorcycle and a sedan on Pierces Creek Road, near Emu Creek (west of Blackbutt)
- March 12 – a trail bike rider was airlifted to hospital in a serious condition after his bike and a car collided at Teelah; and then well-known local musician Gavin Cisneros was flown to Brisbane with leg, arm and rib fractures after a truck and his motorbike collided on Redmans Road at Kingaroy
- December 1, 2014 – A rider died after his motorbike ran off the D’Aguilar Highway coming into Nanango, crashing into a garden bed and sign near Nanango Tank Makers; excessive speed was blamed for this incident
- October 29, 2014 – A 34-year-old man was killed when he came off his motorbike on Linville Road at Moore
And in a crash that shocked local emergency services workers, in May 2013, a 22-year-old Kingaroy was killed instantly when his motorbike collided with a 4WD on the D’Aguilar Highway between Nanango and Kingaroy. Witnesses confirmed the rider had overtaken a number of vehicles at speed and in the process collided head-on with the 4WD.
Related articles:
- South Burnett traffic accidents (10 pages from the past three years)
- Editorial: A Healthy Lifestyle Includes The Highway
Footnote: Queensland Police today released a video, below, shot from the POLAIR chopper which tracked a motorcycle on the Centenary Highway at Springfield Lakes about 9:30pm on Sunday. Police allege the rider reached a speed of 248km/h at one point. A 26-year-old man has been charged with high-end speeding and drink driving after he allegedly recorded a BAC 0.06.
