Three dead in Bruce Highway crash linked to earlier carjacking

Three people are dead after a catastrophic multi-vehicle collision on the Bruce Highway near Federal, triggering a major police investigation into a sequence of events that unfolded over several hours and left witnesses confronted with scenes of total destruction.

The collision occurred shortly after 4am on Friday morning when a 25-year-old man, allegedly driving a vehicle stolen at knifepoint hours earlier, attempted to ram a couple's car on the northbound lanes near exit 244. When he swerved to hit them, both vehicles crossed into the southbound lane, colliding head-on with an oncoming car.

The impact was devastating. A 65-year-old male driver and 25-year-old female passenger in the chased vehicle died at the scene. A 38-year-old woman driving the third car was also killed. The alleged driver of the stolen vehicle — the only survivor — remained hospitalised under police guard with non-life-threatening injuries.

What makes the incident particularly disturbing to investigators is how it appears to have been triggered. Hours earlier, around 4:30pm Thursday, a 31-year-old Gympie woman returned to her car parked on Young Street with her three children when a man approached her, opened the driver's door, and brandished a knife. Demanding the car, he drove off in her white 2019 Isuzu MU-X. Police described him as caucasian, in his early 20s, with sandy blonde hair.

That stolen vehicle resurfaced hours later in the early-morning collision. Police are investigating what relationship or interaction may have existed between the alleged carjacker and the couple he was chasing. They have not yet confirmed whether the chase was premeditated or whether the couple and the man knew each other.

Witness accounts reveal the sheer violence of the crash. Passing motorist Roshanna Bowman, who arrived at the scene shortly after emergency services, described a scene of total destruction. "The car was completely squished up against the concrete between the two different lanes," she told media. "We're not sure how someone could've possibly survived that."

The collision triggered an immediate response from emergency services and authorities. Police closed the Bruce Highway entirely and established diversions ahead of the Friday morning commute. The road remained completely blocked in both directions, with all southbound lanes towards Cooroy still closed as of mid-morning, backing up traffic significantly during the morning rush.

Authorities warned motorists to expect major delays and urged them to use alternative routes. The Bruce Highway, one of Queensland's busiest arterial roads, handles thousands of vehicles daily, and the closure sparked flow-on effects throughout the region.

Police are continuing their investigation into both the carjacking and the collision, appealing for any witnesses who may have seen either vehicle during the pursuit to come forward.