A police inspector recounted the harrowing scene where bystanders rushed to aid a woman and her two young daughters trapped in their vehicle after a severe crash on the Sunshine Coast yesterday.

The girls, aged one and three, are currently in critical condition at Queensland Children’s Hospital. Their car was struck by a dump truck, which forced it against a construction site in Banya shortly before noon.

Their 37-year-old mother is reported to be in stable condition at Sunshine Coast University Hospital, alongside several others who sustained minor injuries in the collision.

Acting Inspector Matt Robertson described the incident as “a confronting scene.”

“It was a tragic set of circumstances,” Robertson said. “A situation like this impacts everyone involved—the witnesses, the accident victims, and the first responders, including ambulance and police officers.”

He added, “No one wants to face such situations, but duty calls, and it has an emotional impact on all of us.”

“The people who witnessed that accident immediately jumped in to assist and assist all the people involved in it and nobody shied away from getting in, helping, providing assistance.”

The dump truck first collided into the back of a car, sending it across the road, near the intersection of Banya Avenue and Bruny Street.

It then travelled another 400m before smashing into several cars that were stopped at the intersection and pinned the blue Haval station wagon with the young family inside.

The 52-year-old male truck driver suffered minor injuries.

Police have spoken to him as they investigate the cause of the crash.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or who has relevant CCTV or dashcam footage is urged to contact police.