THE last thing Tyler Day expected to be doing on Monday morning was holding his little brother’s limp hand on the side of the road, telling him he was not going to die.
The frightening event unfolded shortly after 9am after a two-vehicle crash on the Greenbank Road and Mount Lindesay Highway intersection.
Mr Day was travelling with his father Kai Renner in the front passenger seat and little brother Jan Renner in the back seat when the two vehicles collided.
“On impact, my body violently jerked forward, smashing the front window. My arms felt hollow, as if they contained no blood or bones,” Mr Day said.
“Twisted metal paraphernalia exploded apart from the force of the collision. Mercifully, both airbags deployed.
“Seconds after impact, I realised I was alive, but my thoughts turned to the vulnerable passenger in the back seat, my little brother.
“What transpired next is a situation I wish on absolutely no-one – the risk of irreparable damage to a loved one.”
Paramedics arrived at the scene to attend to the family and send them to hospital for observation.
The driver of the second vehicle declined transport to hospital.
Tyler’s seven-year-old brother, Jan, was winded from the crash, unable to breathe for one minute and at one point asked if he was going to die.
Dad, Kai Renner said he was lucky to escape the crash with just a black eye while the rest of the family were almost unscathed with minor injuries.
“We were really lucky.”
The family said they were grateful to all emergency service workers for coming to their aid.
Mr Day said it could have been a lot worse.
“We are a family of four, including mum. She could have lost all three of us in one hit,” he said.
This experience has pushed the family to campaign for a safer intersection.
Main Roads Department data showed there have been nine serious crashes, and 13 people seriously injured on the intersection between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2017.
Mr Day called on the Queensland government to speed up the installation of traffic lights on the intersection and consider changes to the hazard perception test required for P2 (green P plate) licences.
“(The test) should be completed under the supervision of officials,” he said.
“It is unfeasible for our government to divert scarce resources to place a traffic light at every intersection in Australia. But, surely, we can implement traffic lights on Queensland’s most dangerous intersection.
“My family and I narrowly avoided becoming yet another statistic.”
Mr Renner agreed with his son’s assessment.
“I have lived in Jimboomba for 13 years and this is a really nasty intersection,” he said.
“They need to put in traffic lights, how many people will get hurt while they are delaying it?”
Work is scheduled to begin to install traffic lights on the North Maclean intersection from mid to late this year.
A Transport and Main Roads spokesperson said the $20 million jointly funded North Maclean project will extend the eastern service road from the Chambers Flat Road interchange to a signalised intersection at Greenbank Road.
There will be an access slip lane between Saint Aldwyn and Wearing Road to provide easier southbound traffic access to the service road.
The spokesperson said the department was not considering changes to the hazard perception test.
Tyler Day’s written account of the crash
THE absence of traffic lights at Queensland’s most notorious intersection is endangering our community.
The intersection of Greenbank Road was identified as the deadliest intersection in Queensland, according to RACQ.
At 9am on June 25, I was involved in a two-car collision at the above mentioned intersection.
On that Monday morning, people likely thought about work, not holding their brother's limp hand on the side of the road.
Prior to the crash, my little brother sat in the back seat, buckled up, and gazed out the window as Dad and I, with seatbelts on, talked about something unimportant before the crash.
The two cars morphed together to form a wreckage of destruction. My spine clamped together shooting a jolt-like feeling of electricity up my back.
A symphony of screeching tyres accompanied by the piercing shouts of my dad quickly encompassed the cabin. On impact, my body violently jerked forward smashing the front window. My arms felt hollow as if they contained no blood or bones.
Twisted metal paraphernalia exploded apart from the force of the collision. Mercifully, both airbags deployed.
Seconds after impact, I realised I was alive, but my thoughts turned to the vulnerable passenger in the back seat, my little brother.
What transpired next is a situation I wish on absolutely no-one - the risk of irreparable damage to a loved one.
Fortunately, all involved-parties escaped with only minor injuries. But, this incident raises several questions.
At a systematic level, something must be done to ensure Australian drivers entering the driving-force are properly equipped to safely handle road conditions.
Firstly, the hazard perception test required for the P2 provisional license (green P-plates) should be completed under the supervision of officials.
Secondly, the local and state governments must assume a shared responsibility with road users to mitigate the risks at intersections.
RACQ Head of Public Policy Rebecca Michael said the intersection of Greenbank Road and Mount Lindesay Highway at North Maclean was the deadliest spot in Queensland.
From July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2017, this intersection has seen nine serious crashes resulting in 13 serious casualties, according to RACQ. My family and I narrowly avoided becoming yet another statistic.
It is unfeasible for our government to divert scarce resources to place a traffic light at every intersection in Australia. But, surely, we can implement traffic lights on Queensland’s most dangerous intersection.
I would like to thank emergency services and pedestrians who bravely helped throughout the incident.
Note: Slight editorial changes have been made to the letter.