Alpaca farmer Jessica Townley killed in Bruce Highway tragedy

A Sunshine Coast community is mourning the loss of a beloved alpaca farmer and stepmother after a tragic highway collision unfolded over just hours last week.

Jessica Townley, 38, was killed in a three-vehicle crash on the Bruce Highway near Federal, north of the Sunshine Coast. Two others also lost their lives in the collision—a 25-year-old mother and a 65-year-old man. The tragedy has left her stepchildren and fiancé devastated, with those who knew her describing her as the "rock" of her family.

The sequence of events that led to the crash began the evening before. On Thursday night, police allege a man armed with a knife confronted a woman at Gympie and stole her Isuzu MU-X. The stolen vehicle would prove central to the tragedy that followed.

Just before dawn on Friday morning, the stolen MU-X became the focus of a dangerous high-speed pursuit. Police alleged the vehicle was being actively chased by occupants of another car along the Bruce Highway. What began as a chase escalated into a catastrophic collision when the fleeing driver—northbound in the stolen vehicle—attempted to ram the pursuing car. The maneuver sent both vehicles across the centreline into oncoming traffic.

A third car, heading southbound, collided with both vehicles in the impact zone. Townley was driving that southbound vehicle. The three-vehicle collision, occurring in the early hours of the morning, claimed three lives instantly.

One person survived the crash: the 25-year-old driver of the stolen MU-X. He has since been charged with one count of robbery with violence whilst armed—relating to the Gympie theft. He was due to face Maroochydore Magistrates Court early in the following week.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, those closest to Townley moved quickly to honour her memory and support her grieving family. Friends established a fundraising page to help her stepchildren—Troy, Montana, and TJ—navigate the sudden loss. The response from the community was swift and compassionate.

By the weekend, the fundraiser had exceeded $11,000, a testament to the depth of Townley's impact on those around her. Kelly Goodwin, who organised the appeal, spoke of a woman defined by her tireless work ethic and warmth. "Jess was so special and meant so much to them, she was their rock," Goodwin said. "She was hardworking and didn't stop till the sun went down. She would always have a laugh and brightened any day."

Others echoed similar sentiments in messages of support posted to the fundraiser. Well-wishers described Townley as beautiful inside and out, noting the profound loss felt by her stepchildren and fiancé. The messages painted a picture of a woman deeply woven into the fabric of her family's life—someone irreplaceable.

The crash has reignited questions about safety along the Bruce Highway, a notorious stretch of road that claims multiple lives each year. The circumstances—a chase, an attempted ram, and a head-on collision—underscore the dangers posed by reckless driving behaviour on high-speed corridors.

For now, Townley's community remains focused on supporting her family through their grief, and remembering the alpaca breeder whose presence brightened the lives of those around her.