Councillor airlifted cut from wrecked vehicle

Jannette Parke | 2nd February 2009

Craig Warhurst

TWO drivers, one of them Gympie Region councillor Julie Walker, were injured in a two-car crash yesterday afternoon about 3.39pm on the Mary Valley Road, just south of Goomong Road.

Mrs Walker was trapped in her vehicle for about 20 minutes, fully conscious, as emergency service crews worked to free her from her mangled Hyundai hatchback which had left the road after it and a Gympie-bound Pajero four wheel drive collided.

It appears the Pajero lost control in the wet conditions and crossed into the path of the Imbil-bound hatchback which collided with the side of the other vehicle before being shunted backward into a boggy gully. The Pajero overturned and ended up on its roof in the middle of the road. Both vehicles were written off.

Mrs Walker was stabilised at the scene before being airlifted to Royal Brisbane Hospital by Energex Rescue helicopter around 4.55pm. The male driver of the Pajero was taken by road to Gympie Hospital.

Gympie Ambulance Officer in charge Wayne Sachs said Mrs Walker had sustained multiple injuries, particularly on her right side. She was being treated for lacerations to the head, dislocated right shoulder, fractured left upper arm, fractured left wrist, internal injuries and a dislocated right hip.

One of the first people at the scene said there had been a massive downpour just prior to the accident.

Imbil police sergeant Terry Kennedy said it was frustrating that drivers were not getting the message and not driving to the road's condition.

“Someone's obviously been driving too fast for the road's condition,” Sergeant Kennedy said. “When are drivers going to take responsibility for their actions and use their common sense. Everybody keeps saying it's a terrible road, well then slow down and drive to the conditions. If it's raining - slow down.”

The crash was attended by a Gympie fire unit, an Imbil urban fire unit, two ambulance crews, and police.