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A YOUNG woman was killed in front of her four-year-old son and her mother in a shocking accident on the Ipswich Motorway yesterday morning.
The Bellbird Park woman, 23, had been a passenger in a car that had pulled to the side of the road at about 7.30am after being involved in a minor traffic accident.
"The other vehicles had slowed down . . . when they saw that happen and a truck then hit one of the vehicles from behind and had gone to the left side of the road," Senior Sergeant John McCrae said.
The light truck, driven by a 57-year-old man, then swerved into the stationary car. The impact killed the woman.
Both inbound lanes were blocked after the smash, that involved 11 people, six cars and the truck and brought peak-hour traffic to a standstill.
The road remained closed for about five hours as emergency crews worked to clear the wreckage, which included a further five cars.
Police said it was unclear whether the woman was still in the car, or in the process of getting out of the car, when the truck hit.
The woman's mother, 50, and her son were taken to hospital but later released.
The boy, who was treated for soft tissue damage to his face and bruising, was released from the Mater Children's Hospital about midday.
The dead woman's mother, from Edens Landing, was taken to the Mater Hospital as a precautionary measure but was released without treatment.
Police said it appeared the morning's heavy rain was the major factor in the crash, but the Accident Investigation Squad would continue to investigate the collision.
They have appealed for witnesses to come forward.
"I spoke to one of the witnesses and she said everyone was driving very slowly, there was no indication of speed," Sen Sgt McCrae said.
After the smash, Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale called on Prime Minister John Howard to get personally involved to release funding for a full upgrade of the notorious road.
"What more has to happen before the Commonwealth will accept full responsibility for a federal Government road," he said.
"We must stop the carnage and south-east Queensland will not take it anymore."
The Pacific Motorway did not escape yesterday's wet weather traffic chaos, with at least two accidents bringing traffic to a virtual standstill.
Police said a car and truck collided near the Esher St overpass at Tarragindi, reducing southbound lanes to just one, shortly after 9am.
And about half-an-hour earlier, a single vehicle roll-over blocked one southbound lane about one kilometre after the Vulture St exit.
Two accidents on the Gateway Motorway also reduced traffic to a crawl shortly after 7am.
Edited by fusion88, 04 January 2007 - 12:48 PM.
