Driver survives truck roll

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WEARING a seat belt seems the most likely reason for a truck driver’s unlikely escape after his semi-trailer spectacularly overturned on the Warrego Highway.

Ipswich Inspector Kev Keillor said the truck crashed about 3am yesterday just after it passed the Walloon turn-off heading towards Toowoomba.

Insp Keillor said the driver was overtaking a car when the wheels of his truck ran on to the soft shoulder of the highway.

“He started going over on to the right side and felt the truck going a little bit too far, then he over-corrected and tipped over into the centre median strip,” Insp Keillor said.

“He’s very lucky. The prime moved rolled over on to the roof of the cab. I’ve had a look at the cab of the truck and the windscreen’s smashed and the roof is crushed.”

He said the driver was taken to hospital but it appeared he had avoided serious injury.

“He’s very shaken and he’s got a lot of bruising but all I can say is he’s very lucky,” he said.

“He was wearing a seat belt and, without knowing exactly what happened, I’d say that’s what saved him.

“Whether the load shifted, that would have to be investigated, but the side of the road is soft.”

The truck blocked both Toowoomba-bound lanes of the highway before the prime mover was able to be righted and moved partly to the left side of the road.

Police had to direct traffic around the crash site all morning and the highway wasn’t fully reopened until just before 12.30pm.

The crash is being investigated.

Meanwhile, a 29-year-old woman involved in a fiery crash at Bundamba early Monday morning is recovering from her injuries.

Police said the woman was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital after her car crashed into a power pole on Braeside Road about 1am Saturday.

Yesterday, a hospital spokeswoman said the woman had been discharged.