Crashed minibus may have been overloaded



Police are investigating reports a minibus was overloaded when it crashed on the Gold Coast, injuring 14 people.


CRASH investigators will check whether some minibus passengers were not wearing seatbelts and some were holding children on their laps.

An adult and a six-year-old girl were rushed to Gold Coast Hospital in a critical condition.

The girl was later flown to Royal Brisbane Hospital for specialist surgery for internal bleeding.

A 63-year-old woman was flown to Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital with serious spinal and pelvic injuries, after being cut free from the wreckage of the minibus, a spokesman for the CareFlight helicopter said.

Police crash investigators are checking reports the minibus, which was carrying three Chinese families on holiday, had two more passengers than allowed.

The tourists flew into the Gold Coast on Wednesday and were on their way to Warwick on the Darling Downs at the start of a week-long holiday.

Truck driver Jason McNamee told Channel 10 the minibus pulled out in front of him, causing him to fear for his teenage son travelling with him.

“I quickly looked over to make sure he hadn’t gone through the windscreen,” he said.

“To see the kids in the other van wasn’t good.”

Inspector Gary Pettiford praised an off-duty policewoman who was first on the scene.

“And also an off-duty paramedic from Toowoomba stopped, and they were critical to our operations,” he said.

The crash happened at a T-intersection of the Nerang-Beaudesert and Clagiraba roads about 11.40am (AEST).

Local resident Marie Lacy said she had seen three fatal crashes at the notorious black spot.

“Every time you hear screeching you almost anticipate a bang,” she told Ten.

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