The dangers posed by wandering wildlife to all road users has tragically been highlighted yet again following a fatal accident early this morning on the Bruce Highway in north Queensland.
A 15-year-old boy was killed and his mother and teenage brother badly uninjured when their vehicle apparently crashed into a horse carcass on the highway at Bluewater. Their vehicle then hit a tree and rolled a number of times.
According to media reports, a truck had collided with a horse on the highway a little earlier and after the driver reported the dead animal to police, officers were on their way to the scene when the fatal accident occurred.
This is the second fatality caused by wild horses roaming onto the highway recently – a motorcyclist was killed in the area in August when he collided with a horse on the Bruce.
While collisions with horses are relatively rare, grey nomads travelling long distances – particularly in times of drought – are all too aware of the dangers posed by everything from kangaroos and wombats to camels and cassowaries.
