’Tragic accident’: Care boss responds to deep water crash
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A client of a Coast disability care provider clinging to life after a crash on the service's rural property was a passenger in a ute being driven by an employee, police have revealed.
Sunshine Coast Criminal Investigation Branch officer Craig Mansfield said the injured 29-year-old man was a client at Lifestyle Supports' Diddillibah property.
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Police on Monday said a 21-year-old man was driving, a 19-year-old man was in the front passenger seat and the injured man was in the back seat of a dual cab ute which crashed into water about 2pm Sunday.
Nambour Forensic Crash Unit officer-in-charge Sergeant Sherryn Klump said the driver and the front seat passenger were able to free themselves from the ute before it completely submerged.
"The driver broke a window and was able to extricate the rear passenger from the vehicle, but the vehicle had been submerged for some time," she said.
Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Mansfield said the driver was an employee of the care facility.
He said police divers were called to the scene and helped recover the ute.
The ute has been seized by police for mechanical inspection.
Sen-Sgt Mansfield said the injured man was on life support in hospital.
He said the forensic crash unit would lead the investigation into what had happened.
Lifestyle Supports owner Omar Sulieman said he could not provide any information beyond what had been released by police.
"We are supporting staff and family as we all try to come to terms with this tragic accident," Mr Suleiman said.
His organisation has previously won high praise for its work on the Coast, having been selected by Fisher MP Andrew Wallace as a community awards finalist in 2018.
The Lifestyle Supports website also features endorsements from former state disability services minister Coralee O'Rourke and former assistant federal minister for disability services Jane Prentice.
"The most amazing, relaxing, beautiful respite place I have ever seen," Ms O'Rourke is quoted.
"This is the future of disability services," Ms Prentice is quoted.
