BYSTANDERS looked on in horror as paramedics desperately tried to save the life of a truck driver at Helidon, west of Gatton, yesterday.

The 41-year-old man died after the front left-hand tyre on his prime mover blew out, causing him to lose control and crash into a large tree.

He had been heading west on the Warrego Highway, with the crash occurring a short distance west of the Helidon Bridge.

Fire fighters and ambulance were called to the scene about 7.55am, with paramedics initially trying to stabilise the man before attempting to move him out of the cabin.

It was thought the man died while being transferred to the ambulance.

Witnesses said paramedics spent several minutes trying to revive the driver.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

It was the second fatal crash to occur on the Warrego Highway between Ipswich and Toowoomba within a space of four days.

An 86-year-old man was killed last Friday when he attempted to merge onto the Warrego Highway from Niemeyer Rd at Hatton Vale.

A truck heading east on the highway struck the man's small sedan on the driver's side, dragging it about 70m along the median strip.

Two people were lucky to escape another crash on the Warrego Highway yesterday morning - this time at Brassall near the Kholo Rd overpass.

A man and woman in the car were taken to Ipswich Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.