Horror Smash on Sunshine Coast Leaves Two Toddlers Fighting for Life: Off-Duty Doctor Recounts ‘Most Dramatic Scene’ He’s Ever Witnessed
- Terrifying multi-vehicle collision at Banya near Caloundra leaves one and three-year-old sisters in critical condition
- Off-duty doctor Marcio Brussius Coelho rushes to the scene and provides first aid to the three-year-old girl before she’s airlifted to hospital
- Police investigate whether truck driver suffered a medical episode before the crash, which sent a silver Nissan flying into a fence
In a heart-stopping moment, an off-duty doctor has recounted the horror of a crash that left two tiny toddlers fighting for their lives on the Sunshine Coast. Dr Marcio Brussius Coelho, who happened to be in the area, heard the deafening collision and rushed to the scene, providing critical first aid to the three-year-old girl.
“It was quite, I’d say, emotional as a father and having kids that age as well,” Dr Coelho said, his voice cracking with emotion. “But at the moment, you just have to do what you need to as a doctor.” The medic’s instincts kicked in as he assessed the little girl’s condition, quickly determining that she needed urgent medical attention. “Immediately I thought, this kid needs to go straight to Brisbane,” he recalled.
The three-year-old and her one-year-old sister were travelling with their mother in a blue station wagon when it was struck by an out-of-control truck at an intersection on Banya Avenue. The truck had already been involved in a previous collision, sending a silver Nissan flying into a fence, before careening into the station wagon and sending it crashing into two other cars stopped at traffic lights.
Paramedic Nick Haug described the scene as “quite significant”, with both toddlers sustaining serious head injuries. “Their mother wasn’t as critical, however, in a serious condition. We suspected she’d been knocked out because she didn’t have many recalls of the event,” he said.
As the investigation into the crash continues, police are exploring the possibility that the truck driver may have suffered a medical episode in the moments leading up to the smash. “We have specialists, police investigating the accident. That will be one avenue that will be looked into,” Acting Inspector Matt Robertson said.
Meanwhile, the girls’ mother has been released from hospital, where she anxiously waits for news on her little girls’ condition. The three-year-old was airlifted to Queensland Children’s Hospital, with her younger sister following later. Both remain in critical condition, leaving their family and the community holding their breath for a miracle recovery.