A 40-year-old man has died in hospital after suffering extensive burns in a car crash in Townsville. Emergency services were called to Riverway Drive in the suburb of Condon on Thursday morning after the driver crashed into traffic lights at the intersection of Riverway Drive and Gollogly Lane.
Witnesses and motorists helped respond before emergency services arrived. Condon resident Steven Wiley was among the first on scene and used a fire extinguisher to try to put out the blaze. 'The car had driven off the road into the pole and had burst into flames when I got there,' he said.
Police will continue to investigate the crash, and a report will be prepared for the coroner. The incident follows several fatal crashes on Queensland roads this week, including a crash near Ayr on Tuesday that left a 36-year-old motorcyclist dead, and a rollover on the Gregory Developmental Road north of Clermont on Wednesday that injured a young boy.
New data from the Queensland government shows there have been 110 fatal crashes since the start of this year, a 23.6 per cent increase compared with the previous five-year average. Thirteen men aged 30 to 39 have died this year, the highest proportion of crash deaths recorded.
Queensland Police Superintendent Chris Lawson urged motorists to take care over the long weekend and not to overextend themselves on road trips. 'I just implore everyone to take care on our roads and make sure you're travelling within the rules,' he said.
