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Tributes have poured in for a man who was one of three people killed in a horror five-car crash on a major Queensland highway.
Sidney Marstella, 53, was driving his SUV when it collided with a semi-trailer on the Bruce Highway in Maryborough, about 270km north of Brisbane, just before 10pm on Friday night.
The semi-trailer then hit another lorry before colliding with a wagon and a caravan.
Sir. Marstella and the drivers of the two trucks were tragically killed in the crash, which residents say they heard from miles away.
Two of the vehicles caught fire and one of the trucks was carrying a load of lithium batteries, which set off loud explosions and a fireball.
It is understood Mr Marstella had turned right from a junction into one of the lorries.
Tributes have poured in from loved ones after Sidney Marstella (pictured) died in a horrific five-car crash in Queensland on Friday night
Loved ones have since shared tributes to Mr Marstella, who was remembered by his niece Leticia Wise as a ‘comedian’ who made everyone laugh.
‘It hurts so much. Can’t believe I’ll never see or hear from you again,’ Ms Wise wrote on Facebook.
‘He was very well known in Maryborough. Those who knew Sid Marstella know that he was a great, kind, loving, helpful friend.’
Family friend Tabitha Pershouse uploaded an emotional post in honor of Mr Marstella on Saturday.
‘RIP Sidney Marstella. I can’t believe you’re gone, we’ll definitely catch up with you again dear sweetheart always and forever,’ she wrote.
A 22-year-old woman and a 27-year-old man from the Northern Territory, who were in the northbound car, suffered minor injuries after their vehicle crashed into the trailers of both trucks.
A 50-year-old man who was driving the vehicle and towing the caravan was also injured in the crash but was not seriously injured.
The two trucks burst into flames almost immediately (pictured) after the collision on Friday night
Emergency services including fire and rescue crews rushed to the scene on Friday night, with firefighters still there on Saturday dousing one of the trucks and clearing debris.
The identification of the two truck drivers killed has not yet been released.
“Due to the collision and the damage to both vehicles, we have had to call in the Disaster Victim Identification Police from Brisbane to assess the remains of the people at the scene so we can get the identities of those people,” Queensland Police Acting said. Superintendent Paul Algie told reporters Saturday.
Emergency crews including firefighters rushed to the scene to tackle the blaze (pictured) and parts of the motorway were closed on Saturday as authorities investigated the cause of the incident
He said investigators were looking into the crash being caused by a ‘failure to yield’.
‘The two trucks collided and burst into flames immediately,’ Act Supt Algie said.
One of the trucks brought the lithium batteries and the other had a load of watermelons.
The intersection was closed for most of Saturday as emergency crews continue to investigate the cause of the incident.
A woman on an online group said she heard explosions from a suburb 5km away.
‘I heard the explosions here in Oakhurst. It was terrible, my heart dropped, so sad,’ she said.
A driver who had been on the road near the scene told the group that there was a truck on fire and several smaller explosions when the load of paint cans ignited.
“The police stopped me there and told me to turn around,” they said.
‘It also rained quite hard. Not to mention sitting there, I could hear and see small explosions which were later reported to be paint cans.
‘I am devastated to hear that people died in this event.’
Anyone who saw the crash or has dashcam footage of the collision has been urged to contact police.