A truck driver, car driver, motorcyclist and three pedestrians lost their lives on Queensland roads on the weekend, signalling a tragic start to the school holidays as police launched their Christmas road safety campaign.
Three other motorbike riders were also fighting for life in hospital on Sunday after separate crashes.
The latest incident happened on Sunday afternoon about 1.15pm on Ipswich Boonah Road at Peak Crossing, 20 kilometres south of Ipswich.
Police said a motorbike left the road and crashed into a tree, leaving the male rider critically injured.
Just two hours earlier a 70-year-old male motorcyclist was airlifted to hospital with critical injuries after crashing on the same road.
Just after 11am the rider came off his bike in Coulson, about 25 kilometres south of the later crash site, with witnesses saying the rider swerved to avoid debris.
Elsewhere, a pedestrian was hit by a car on Logan Road at Mount Gravatt.
Police said the man got off a bus and was hit by a vehicle, reportedly a taxi, as he was trying to cross the road.
Attempts to revive the man at the scene were unsuccessful. It is understood he suffered chest injuries.
Logan Road was closed southbound from Nursery Road late on Sunday morning.
JUST IN: A pedestrian has been killed after being struck by a car on Logan Road, Mount Gravatt. #9News pic.twitter.com/8SiFZuVyNY— Nine News Brisbane (@9NewsBrisbane) December 11, 2016
Police also said on Sunday morning that the driver of a car which hit a tree at Durong, 150 kilometres north of Dalby, on Saturday evening had died.
The sole occupant of the car was travelling west along Wondai Chinchilla Road when the incident happened.
Meanwhile, a truck driver died when his B-double truck overturned on the Pacific Motorway southbound at Eight Mile Plains on Friday night.
Queensland Police Inspector Steve Flori said the truck had been seen weaving between traffic lanes prior to the crash. He said the vehicle was almost brand new, so investigators doubted mechanical failure was the cause.
The driver, a 36-year-old Waterford West man, died at the scene and the Forensic Crash Unit was investigating. Traffic delays continued into Saturday morning as holiday makers headed off to the Gold Coast.
A truck driver has died after losing control of his truck in Eight Mile Plains. #9News https://t.co/PWKslSYLRu— Nine News Brisbane (@9NewsBrisbane) December 9, 2016
On the Sunshine Coast, a 44-year-old male motorbike rider lost his life on Saturday night after losing control and hitting a power pole.
The crash happened on Diddillibah Road in Diddillibah about 10.30pm and the Burnside man died at the scene.
Two pedestrians were also killed overnight on Friday after separate incidents on the central Queensland coast: an 81-year-old woman in Gladstone, and a 37-year-old man in Hervey Bay.
Another motorbike rider was also airlifted to hospital in a critical condition after crashing into a guard rail in the Sunshine Coast hinterland on Saturday morning.
A man has serious leg injuries after a motorcycle crash at Mooloolah Valley. #7News pic.twitter.com/gYKyLsTReI— 7 News Queensland (@7NewsQueensland) December 10, 2016
On Thursday, police launched their annual Christmas Road Safety Campaign, warning that motorists caught breaking the law would receive an unwanted and costly Christmas gift.
This year, police will target drivers speeding or under the influence in an attempt to lower the 33 fatalities from last year's holiday period.
