A heroic truckie is being praised for his quick-thinking actions that saved the life of a 20-year-old woman who crashed into the back of his truck, before both vehicles burst into flames.
The incident occurred on Wednesday evening just before midnight on the Bruce Highway.
Clayton’s Towing was at the scene and in a social media post said, “The truck driver felt a thud and pulled off the road. He found the 4wd into the rear of his trailer, and helped the 20-year-old female occupant to get clear.
“He then disconnected his prime mover before it all become engulfed in flames. Our crew responded with our excavator, skip bins, super tilt, clean machine and worked with emergency services in getting the scene cleaned up.”
Witness Anthony Puleo told 7News, “He dragged her for at least 700m to 800m before pulling over, because he didn’t realise he had anything behind him,” adding that she is lucky to be alive.
According to a police spokesman, the impact of the crash caused the fire, and the truck’s load was completely destroyed.
It took three Queensland Fire crews to extinguish the flames, which were still being damped down four hours after the initial crash.
The truck driver was uninjured, however the woman was reportedly taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital with arm and leg injuries.
A Coles spokesperson confirmed the incident with 7News, praising the truckie’s actions. “Nobody was seriously injured and police are currently investigating. We are extremely proud of the driver’s quick-thinking actions in supporting others involved in the incident.”
The Bruce Highway was partially closed for several hours.