ROOF CRUSHED WHEN DRIVER SWERVES AND ROLLS WORK VEHICLE

June 4, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A miner who swerved to avoid an eagle on the road on his way to work has escaped serious injury after rolling his truck at Lotus Creek yesterday.

RACQ CQ Rescue was tasked about 4.40pm to fly to the single-vehicle accident on Marlborough-Sarina Road, about 170km south of Mackay.

The 23-year-old driver, believed to be from Gracemere, and his two passengers were travelling in a work vehicle to a mine site near Moranbah when he swerved to avoid an eagle on the road. He rolled the work truck, smashing the windscreen and crushing the roof. The vehicle came to rest on its side in the middle of the road.

RACQ CQ Rescue rescue crewman Arno Schoonwinkel said the driver and his passengers were incredibly lucky to escape the crash alive given the vehicle’s roof was crushed to within “just 30cm of the steering wheel”.

The two passengers suffered only minor superficial injuries, but the driver suffered head and possible pelvic injuries and required transport to Mackay Base Hospital.

RACQ CQ Rescue arrived on scene just before 5.30pm landing on Marlborough-Sarina Road with a doctor and Critical Care Paramedic on board.

The driver was transported in a stable condition and arrived at Mackay Base Hospital at 6.20pm.

At 7.30pm, the Mackay-based rescue helicopter was tasked to transfer a hospital patient from Clermont to Townsville in a task which took almost 7 hours and saw the crew fly more than 960km. The helicopter returned to base at 2am.

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Please credit any released photos and video footage to RACQ CQ Rescue.
Please note: Full title of rescue service is RACQ CQ Rescue.

For further information please contact:
Naomi Noy
RACQ CQ Rescue
Ph: 0417 578 182