Family and friends are mourning the passing of Guy Langhans after the 18-year-old was killed in a quad bike accident outside the Nindigully Hotel on Sunday.
Mr Langhans was riding his quad bike on an abandoned motorcross track in front of the Hotel when the bike struck a ditch and overturned. He was unable to be revived.
Mr Langhans was well known in the district having grown up in the Talwood area before attending Downlands College for high school.
Balonne Shire Mayor, Cr Donna Stewart, described the accident as a terrible tragedy.
“By all accounts he was a well liked young fellow and this is just very sad for the region,” she said.
Queensland Country Life met Mr Langhans outside Katherine, NT, last August while he was working on a cattle property. Click here to read his story.
Sunday’s accident occurred just two days after the State Government released its Statewide Plan for Improving Quad Bike Safety.
Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace said there had been about 1500 quad bike-related hospitalisations in the past five years in Queensland.
“Quad bikes have played a role in the deaths of 69 people in Queensland in the last fifteen years and that’s clearly way too many,” she said.
“That’s why we’ve launched a statewide quad bike safety plan aimed squarely at cutting the number of fatalities and injuries on these vehicles. It seeks to create a safety culture through education and awareness as the immediate first step toward improving safety outcomes for quad bike users and their passengers. The plan has been developed with input from ten government agencies, and in consultation with industry associations.”
Ms Grace said all quad bike users should exercise caution and follow a series of basic rules in order to stay safe.
“Always wear a helmet and never let children ride adult sized quad bikes,” she said.
“Never carry passengers on quads which aren’t designed for it and take a rider training course.”
