Bruce Highway partially closed after teenager critically injured in serious crash at Cooroy
The male driver was extracted after the crash on the Bruce Highway in Cooroy. (Supplied)
A teenager has been critically injured in a serious crash that partially closed the Bruce Highway in the Sunshine Coast region.
Police said a car was driving north when it ran up the back of a truck carrying a mobile crane at high speed near the Cooroy exit just before 7am.
Three crews from Queensland Fire Department extracted the driver from the vehicle.
Sergeant Sherryn Klump, from the Forensic Crash Unit, said it appeared the young driver from Alexandra Hills had been attempting to overtake vehicles before the collision.
"The Subaru was actually wedged in the back end of the crane and they were connected for about 50 metres," she said.
"Very traumatic thing to be involved with and for the witnesses who did see it unfold, those who tried to help that young man."
Paramedics treated the male P-plate driver, who suffered significant, life-threatening injuries.
A rescue helicopter took him to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.
Sergeant Klump said the young driver underwent surgery this afternoon but she could not provide a further update on his condition.
She said police were appealing to anyone with dash cam footage of the incident to come forward.
"There may have been someone travelling north on the highway this morning who may have been overtaken by a vehicle," Sergeant Klump said.
"They may have dashcam footage of that moment in time."
The incident closed the highway and caused long delays.
Long traffic delays are expected after a serious crash on the Bruce Highway at Cooroy. (Supplied)
Notorious road
The Bruce Highway connects Queensland from top to bottom and the largely single lane highway is often listed as one of Australia's most dangerous roads.
The nearly 1,700-kilometre highway was subject of heavy criticism during the recent state election, with modelling indicating it would cost $9 billion to upgrade the road to a minimum three-star safety rating.
More than 40 people have died on the road in the past year.
Last month the $1.2 billion Gympie bypass opened to allow motorists to avoid a notorious section of the highway at Gympie.
Queensland's peak motoring body has warned the state's road toll is on track for the highest tally in more than a decade.
As of midnight on Sunday there had been 265 deaths on Queensland roads this year, compared to 244 to the same point in 2023.