A young trader who died when his car collided with a truck carrying explosive chemicals, causing a deadly fire, is being remembered as a beloved son, boyfriend and twin brother.
Max Joseph Rourke, 21, died when his pickup truck collided with a B-double truck on the Bruce Highway in central Queensland at about 5am on August 30.
His van burst into flames after the truck spilled its load of ammonium nitrate and sparked a massive chemical fire near Bororen, south of Gladstone.
The 21-year-old, who ran his own roofing repair business, suffered devastating injuries to his abdomen, legs, pelvis, head and arm and died at the scene.
His heartbroken girlfriend Tasmyn Lynette said Rourke had been “everything and more” to her in a heartbreaking Instagram post last week.
“Fly high my love. We will miss you forever, not just me, but everyone who had the opportunity to have you in their lives,” she wrote.
“Your smile and laugh were so loving, you lit up every room you walked into. I will always be your Skippy. My love, my light, my everything and more.”
In a funeral notice, the worker was described as “a good friend to many” and was much loved by his father Anthony and twin brother Zac.
Max Joseph Rourke (pictured left) was killed when his pickup truck collided with a B-double on the Bruce Highway in central Queensland at around 5am on August 30.
His devastated girlfriend Tasmyn Lynette (pictured right) said Rourke (left) had been “everything and more” to her in a heartbreaking Instagram post last week.
His close friend Cameron Mcgrath expressed his shock at the sudden loss.
“We were just talking a few days ago. My best friend on Snapchat, my brother. I can’t believe it at all…” she wrote online.
A celebration of Mr Rourke’s life will be held at Rockhampton Crematorium’s East Chapel on September 13.
The 47-year-old driver of the B-double, who is from New South Wales, was airlifted to Bundaberg Hospital with serious injuries.
A spokeswoman for Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service told Daily Mail Australia that the man is currently in a stable condition.
The chemical explosion with a radius of 500 metres left a huge crater on the Bruce Highway, which was closed for several days after the horrific accident.
Earlier, Premier Anthony Albanese and Queensland Premier Steven Miles were forced to answer questions about the safety of drivers on the road.
“I’m very conscious of the need to do more, I want to work with the Queensland Government to make sure we do more and we will continue to have more say, including on projects that are being fast-tracked,” Albanese said.
Mr Miles was forced to deny claims that funding for the motorway had stalled.
The horror crash, which forced the motorway (pictured) to close for several days, raised major concerns about the ongoing commitment to making the road safer for motorists.
“We have $6 billion allocated to projects in Bruce at the moment, I don’t think you can say that’s stagnant,” the prime minister said.
“Some industry commentators would say that’s more than our construction industry can currently sustain, which is why we’re investing heavily.”
The Bruce Highway upgrade program began a decade ago in July 2013 and was scheduled to last 10 years and cost $8.5 billion.
The state and federal governments have agreed to spend $883 million in a joint funding commitment to improve several areas of the highway.
These areas include Gladstone, Rockhampton, between Mackay and Prosperine, north of Townsville and the Tiaro Bypass.
