By Sonia Isaacs
A serious multi-vehicle crash at Banya on the Sunshine Coast has left two toddlers fighting for their lives and five other people in hospital, as emergency services continue investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) paramedics were called to the intersection of Banya Avenue and Great Keppel Way about 11.45am on Thursday, January 8, following reports of a collision involving a truck and multiple cars. Crews described the scene as highly dynamic, with several vehicles involved and patients requiring urgent care.
A QAS spokesperson confirmed seven patients were assessed and transported from the scene, including two young children who sustained critical injuries.
“We had a toddler with significant head and chest injuries; they were airlifted to Queensland Children’s Hospital,” the spokesperson said.
“Another toddler with significant head and chest injuries was initially transported by road to Sunshine Coast University Hospital, but has since been transferred by helicopter to Queensland Children’s Hospital. Both of those children are in life-threatening conditions.”
A woman in her 30s also suffered head and chest injuries and was transported in a stable condition to Sunshine Coast University Hospital. A man in his 60s was taken to the same hospital for assessment, also in a stable condition.
Three additional patients, believed to be adults, were transported to Sunshine Coast University Hospital. QAS said further details on their conditions were not available at the time of reporting.
Earlier, paramedics said the complexity of the crash, involving several vehicles, made it difficult to immediately confirm patient numbers and injury severity, with crews focused on stabilising those most critically injured.
Queensland Police Service (QPS) said the Forensic Crash Unit is currently on scene and has commenced investigations into the cause of the crash. Police warned motorists to expect significant delays in the area and urged drivers to avoid the intersection where possible.
Police also confirmed information suggesting a separate traffic crash occurred shortly before the major incident, at the nearby intersection of Banya Avenue and Bruny Street. That earlier two-vehicle crash did not result in any life-threatening injuries.
Traffic conditions in the area remain affected as emergency services continue their work, with further updates expected later today as investigations progress.