A horror weekend on Queensland roads has included three people being killed in crashes on Saturday and two men being charged for dangerous driving in separate incidents.
An elderly man died in one incident north of Brisbane after his car drove off a bridge and crashed into a river.
Emergency services were called to Bauple Woolooga Road in Gunidah on the Fraser Coast, about 220 kilometres north of Brisbane, after a Subaru Forester had veered off the road and careered into the Mary River.
Saturday saw several traffic crashes, which tragically included three fatalities.Credit: Queensland Police
Members of the public went into the river to try and save the driver, a 71-year-old man, but police divers eventually found him dead in the car.
It came after two crashes in different parts of the state claimed the lives of two other people.
Emergency services were called to a crash in North Isis, south of Bundaberg, after reports a Holden Commodore and a Nissan X-Trail collided at Childers Road just after midday.
The sole passenger of the Nissan, an 87-year-old woman from Apple Tree Creek, suffered critical injuries and died at the scene.
The driver of each car, an 82-year-old man in the Nissan and a 17-year-old boy in the Holden, were taken to Bundaberg Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The other crash involved a Toyota RAV4 colliding with a tree in Aubigny, just outside of Toowoomba, about 1.30pm.
Police arrived on the scene at Oakey Pittsworth Road and found the car, driven by a 74-year-old woman, had left the road.
She suffered critical injuries and died at the scene.
Investigations into all three crashes are ongoing, and anyone with information on the fatal incidents are urged to contact police.
In another incident on Saturday, a Moreton Bay man has been charged over a serious traffic crash in Deception Bay on Saturday night.
“Around 7.20pm, a black Nissan Navara was travelling along Phillip Parade, between Bundaberg Street and Nambour Court, when it struck a pedestrian,” police said in a statement.
“The driver and sole occupant of the Nissan allegedly fled the scene in the vehicle.”
However, he later turned himself in at a police station.
“The pedestrian, a 21-year-old Newport woman was transported to Royal Brisbane Hospital in a serious but stable condition,” police said.
A 49-year-old Clontarf man has been charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle and driving under the influence of liquor.
He will appear at Redcliffe Magistrates Court on February 3, 2026.
Earlier, on Saturday afternoon, another man driving dangerously allegedly caused a crash on the Gold Coast. He has since been charged over the incident.
About 4.20pm, police allegedly saw a grey Peugeot driving dangerously on Dreamworld Parkway at Coomera.
While attempting to intercept the vehicle, police lost sight of it before it allegedly sped off towards Helensvale.
“A short time later, police were called to reports of a two-vehicle traffic crash involving the same Peugeot and a white Ford van on Hope Island Road, Helensvale,” a police statement read.
“It is alleged the driver of the Peugeot, a 35-year-old Bellbird Park man, then fled the scene on foot while his passenger, a 56-year-old Bellbird Park man, remained in the vehicle.
“The driver and sole occupant of the Ford, a 29-year-old Robina man, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition.”
The driver of the Peugeot was found nearby and arrested. He was charged with one count each of dangerous operation of a vehicle, being adversely affected by an intoxicating substance, driving under the influence of liquor and failing to remain at and incident and rendering assistance.
He is due to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on January 8, 2026.
Police are appealing to anyone with relevant information, CCTV or dashcam vision regarding either dangerous driving incident to contact them.
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