An ex-cop who was travelling up to 200km/h before slamming his Audi into another car, killing a nurse, committed a disturbing act moments before the collision, according to witnesses.
Bruce Daley, 56, died when his black Audi smashed into a silver sedan being driven by Emma McLean, 23, at about 3pm on Wednesday inside Brisbane’s Legacy Way Tunnel.
Her passenger, close friend Lily Galbraith, 24, died at the scene and Ms McClean was left fighting for life in hospital.
Mr Daley also died in the crash.
After the Audi collided with the sedan, police believe the impact then pushed the sedan into a small truck, causing serious injuries to the driver of the truck, a 45-year-old from Victoria.
Mr Daley, a former Queensland Police officer who was medically retired in 2014 and had struggled with mental health issues, is now suspected of turning his Audi into a deadly weapon in a cowardly and reckless murder-suicide.
Witnesses described seeing the Audi stop just after entering the tunnel near Mt Cootha in Brisbane’s west before accelerating to speeds of up to 200km/h.
“I was driving behind the Audi … for some reason [the driver] slowed down and stopped when we entered the tunnel,” a witness told The Courier-Mail.
“[The driver] didn’t indicate or put hazards on … I indicated around him and kept going … a few people beeped at him. I got back in the left lane but kept looking back to see if he got going again. Then I could hear a car engine roaring as he went past me … then 20 seconds later smoke and debris was flying around.”
Other witnesses on social media gave similar descriptions of the incident.
One wrote, “I was just out of sight behind this when it happened. The vehicle … was just ahead of me and accelerated quickly just after the first speed camera heading eastbound until it was out of sight. Came across the scene about 30 seconds later.”
Another said, “He slowed right down to 20ish km/h to have a massive gap in front of him, then absolutely booked it in the tunnel. When I seen it, I was like WTF is this lad doing, then next minute I see the crash scene.”
The friends from South Australia were on their way to a wedding when the crash occurred.
Ms McLean underwent emergency surgery at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital for critical injuries on Wednesday evening.
She had become engaged to her boyfriend just three weeks ago.
“You and me forever,” she captioned an Instagram video of her boyfriend Harry’s proposal.
10 News reports that at the time he left the Queensland Police in 2014, Mr Daley had been drinking and police wanted to speak to him about a “serious incident”.
Police sources told the broadcaster that Mr Daley was “unpopular” and “unfit to be in the job”.
Mr Daley had posted online about relationship struggles and loneliness over several years.
Asked on Thursday whether Mr Daley’s mental health would form part of the investigation, Detective Acting Inspector Chris Hansel said he didn’t want to “go into specifics”.
“I’m unable to comment on exact scenarios at this stage,” he said.
“As you would appreciate, it is a very complex investigation, a very confronting scene that was experienced by our first responders and members of the public last night. It would be again irresponsible for me to nominate a specific scenario without the full investigation having been undertaken.”
Queensland police Regional Duty Officer Acting Inspector Stephen Crabbe said police were yet to determine whether speed was a factor in the crash, but that it would be a “focus” of the investigation.
He said police were reviewing CCTV and were interested to speak to witnesses who could describe the “driving manner” of the Audi.
The crash was “extensive” and spread out for “several hundred metres”, he said.
Shocking photographs from the scene show the black Audi crumpled against the wall of the tunnel, with the exhaust pipe laying flat on the road.
The crash struck the eastbound section of the tunnel about 3.10pm on Wednesday, the Queensland Ambulance Service said, leaving traffic banked up as emergency services raced to the scene.
Inspector Crabbe said firefighters were required to cut people out of vehicles.
The Legacy Way Tunnel reopened on Thursday morning.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles said, “My thoughts are with families of those affected — it’s an awful, awful crash.”
The Legacy Way tunnel links the Western Freeway at Toowong in the city’s west with the inner-north.
The Nurses and Midwives Memorial Page Australia paid tribute to Ms Galbraith on Thursday.
“Rest in peace, Lily. Thank you for your service. Condolences to your family, friends and colleagues,” the post read.
“All the very best for Emma and sending love to her family as they wait to see how her progress is. We are also thinking of the bride, groom and any wedding guests also mourning.”