New theory on cause of horrific Queensland crash that killed two children
Police are investigating the cause of a devastating crash that saw a family of six torn apart on Sunday afternoon.
Two children died after a car carrying six people veered off off Beaudesert Boonah Road and into Wyaralong Dam in Queensland’s southeast just after 2pm (AEST) on Sunday.
A man, 26, and woman, 33, were able to free themselves along with a five-week-old girl and boy, 1, from the semi-submerged Landrover Discovery, however a girl, 4 and a boy, 13, died at the scene.
"Unfortunately, those two children were trapped in the vehicle longer than the other occupants," Inspector Doug McDonald told reporters on Monday, adding that attempts to revive the two children failed.
"There was some difficulty getting some of the doors open ... to extract the kids,” he added.
Inspector McDonald said the car veered into a barrier on the left side of the road at high speed then "skewed across to the opposite side".
"Consequently the angle it's gone into that other barrier has resulted in it flipping and rolling down that embankment into the water," he said.
Inspector McDonald said a number of factors including speed and fatigue were being considered into the cause of the crash.
Fatigue a likely factor in fatal crash
“Fatigue is a real big killer on our roads and that is certainly part of our investigation for this matter,” he said.
When asked if everyone travelling in the car was wearing a seatbelt, Inspector McDonald said initial investigations showed there was adequate seating and restraints in the vehicle but closer examinations would reveal further details.
“There certainly was child seats and everything that were in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Of course, further investigation needs to be conducted on that vehicle to determine the extent of restraints and how those child safety seats were in the vehicle,” he said.
The surviving children remain in hospital. The boy is in a stable condition and the girl suffered no serious injuries. The man and woman suffered non-life-threatening leg injuries.
Police are yet to formally interview the adults as part of the investigation as the pair will undergo surgery on Monday.
“I really can't comment at this stage other than to say we are keeping an open mind around our investigation,” Inspector McDonald said
with AAP
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