A caravanning couple is lucky to be alive after they tried to turn off the Cunningham Highway into a campground and got hit by a massive truck.
Their Coromal van was completely obliterated by the force of the impact but, miraculously, the caravanners walked away from their four-wheel-drive without major injury. The truck driver was treated at the scene for shock.
Police believe the truck had pulled onto the wrong side of the road to avoid rear ending queued traffic. The accident happened outside the entrance to the Glendon Camping Ground about 35 kilometres west of Warwick.
Warwick police Sergeant Shane Reid told the Sunshine Coast Daily that the driver of semi-trailer was following a line of traffic travelling from Inglewood to Warwick when he crossed onto the wrong side of the road.
“At the front of the line of traffic was a four-wheel drive and caravan intending to turn right into the camping grounds,” he said. “Behind the vehicle was a line of traffic including trucks, a couple of those vehicles managed to slow down.”
He said initial investigations indicate one of those trucks has been unable to stop in time and has “pulled out onto the wrong side of the road to avoid colliding into the rear of those vehicles and subsequently has collided with the caravan as it was turning into the campgrounds”.
Investigations are continuing.
Years ago, members of our caravan club were hit by an overtaking motor bike as they were turning right off the Old Coast Road. Wrecked their car and van and the rider was killed all because he was too impatient.
In this case I guess that the truck driver was damned if he did or damned if he didn’t. The scene may have been much worse if he had smashed into the cars in front instead of taking evasive action.
Could have caused a petrol explosion and who knows may be there may have been many severe casualties.
I am not supporting the truck driver as he was certainly in the wrong as he was travelling to close to the vehicles in front of his rig.
A blessing nobody was severely hurt.
John
Yes it would appear that the truck driver was in the wrong but had the caravan operator checked his mirrors before turning he would have most likely been able to avoid the collision
We all need to remember being in the right is no good if your dead