A LITTLE boy has died and two men are fighting for their lives after an horrific truck crash on the Darling Downs.
The seven-year-old boy was travelling with his 31-year-old father when their prime mover slammed into the back of another truck on the Gore Highway near Pampas about 5pm on Thursday.
The rear vehicle overturned and caught on fire on impact and the child was killed at the scene. His father was flown to Toowoomba Hospital with serious head injuries. The family was from Helidon and is understood the boy was travelling with his father to spend time with him on the school holidays.
The driver of the first truck was well known Darling Downs farmer and grains identity Lyndon Pfeffer.
The 62-year-old suffered critical head injuries and was flown to Princess Alexandra Hospital, where he today underwent surgery with his family at his side.
Former AgForce grains president Wayne Newton said the community was in shock following the horrific crash.
“He's a prominent farmer in that Pampas area, he lived not very far from where the accident occurred and he was still harvesting some late crop,” Mr Newton said.
"Certainly in his local community it has been quite a shock, he's a well respected member of local farming community, a respected grain farmer and he was just carrying out his normal day to day operations.
“Unfortunately he’s been involved in this quite horrific accident and certainly at the moment his position is quite grave.
“The whole accident has just been terrible, a seven-year-old boy has been killed, it is a really horrific thing that you could never dream could ever happen.”
Queensland Police Sergeant Tony Logue said truckies and other witnesses had tried to assist before emergency services arrived.
“It appears that a prime mover that was turning into Gilgai Lane has been hit in the rear by a prime mover that was travelling in the same direction,” Sgt Logue said.
"One vehicle veered off to the left and jackknifed and the other vehicle following has gone to the right, it's rolled.”
The Gore Highway was closed in both directions while emergency services worked at the scene.
Sgt Logue urged anyone who was travelling in the area at the time and may have dash-cam footage to come forward.
The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating.
The horror crash has added to Queensland’s mounting road toll this Christmas period and follows the death of an elderly Cairns couple who were hit by a car when they were crossing the road in Townsville on Christmas Eve.
Another man also died in Townsville after coming off his pushbike in Bushland Beach. The 48-year-old was found near his bike early on Thursday.
