The Landsborough Highway from Cloncurry to Winton remains closed after two trucks were caught in floodwaters yesterday.
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At 5.30am yesterday (January 15) two trucks were travelling between Kynuna and McKinlay when they struck separate floodwaters and drove into a creek.
One vehicle was 30 kilometres east of McKinlay heading west, while the other was 20 kilometres east of McKinlay heading east.
Cloncurry Police Acting Senior Sergeant, Matthew Hous, said both incidences happened while it was still dark.
“The driver of the vehicle 30 kilometres east of McKinlay said he saw what looked like a shadow on the road, basically he didn’t see the flooded creek and he hit the water at speed,” Acting Senior Sergeant Hous said.
“That resulted in his vehicle aquaplaning for a short period of time and the weight of the trailers pushing the prime mover off of the road and into the creek.
“The second truck is believed to have done the same thing.”
Neither driver was injured.
Both trucks were cleared around 12.30pm this afternoon (January 16) after needing heavy machinery to remove them from the creek.
“The highway is still closed as it needs to be assessed by Department of Transport and Main Roads to make sure the road surface is safe for other motorists,” Acting Senior Sergeant Hous said.
“It is believed the road has large cracks where the trucks exited the road.”
Acting Senior Sergeant Hous said if it was flooded, forget it.
“Don’t try and cross flooded creeks and causeways, in this instance drivers didn’t see the floodwaters,” he said.
“My advice to heavy vehicle drivers is when it is raining heavily and you pass over flooding creeks, to lower your speed in anticipation that a creek could be flooded.”