By Leonie Fuge
A police investigation is continuing into whether fatigue was a contributing factor to the horrific truck and ute collision that occurred on the New England Highway on 4 January leaving two drivers trapped in their vehicles.
Emergency services attended the crash that occurred between High Street and McGlew Street around 3:40 pm in Stanthorpe on Wednesday.
“It appears the utility driver may have been fatigued and had drifted across the centre line,” Acting Sergeant Shane Gleeson said. “He was transported to Toowoomba Base Hospital with a broken hip, broken femur and broken arm.”
The Acting Sergeant said it was incredible the driver wasn’t killed.
“If he had have crossed the line only a moment earlier it would have been a road fatality.
“The driver of the truck tried to evade the accident however the edges along the road in that section are either a cutting or drop off excessively. He could only go so far to avoid the accident,” said AS Gleeson.
The utility driver was said to be living in Stanthorpe and commuting to Yangan each day for work.
An early report from the truck driver suggests the driver of the ute had fallen asleep.
Queensland Fire and Rescue Service said two crews attended the scene and two drivers had to be extracted from the vehicles. Firefighters engaged equipment (spreaders) to remove the patients from the vehicles.
Queensland Ambulance Services spokesperson confirmed that two patients had been transported to hospital, one in a serious condition and one in a stable condition. One patient arrived at the hospital at 4.32 pm and the second at 5 pm.
The New England Highway was closed between High Street and McGlew Street whilst emergency services attended to the incident and forensics investigated the accident scene and took photos.
