Horror as woman and toddler are killed in head-on collision on Captain Cook Highway, Oak Beach

By KYLIE STEVENS, SENIOR BREAKING NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 14:56, 23 May 2026 | Updated: 14:58, 23 May 2026 A woman and a two-year-old toddler have died in a horror three-car crash in Far North Queensland. Emergency services were called to Captain Cook Highway at Oak Beach shortly before 4pm on Friday following reports of a crash south of Port Douglas. Initial investigations indicate a white Mitsubishi Triton ute struck a red Mazda MX-5 before colliding head-on with a white MG3 hatchback. The driver of the MG, a 34-year-old Mossman woman, and an infant passenger could not be revived at the scene. A 22-year-old female passenger was airlifted to Cairns Hospital with life-threatening pelvic and abdominal injuries, where she remains in a serious but stable condition. The ute driver, a 62-year-old Port Douglas man, was transported to Cairns Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, where he also remains in a serious but stable condition. The male driver and female passenger in the Mazda were not physically injured. Harrowing photos showed the confronting scene emergency responders and passing motorists faced. A horror crash on the Captain Cook Highway claimed the lives of a woman and toddler  Initial investigations indicate a white Mitsubishi Triton ute struck a red Mazda MX-5 before colliding head-on with a white MG3 hatchback (pictured) Captain Cook Highway was closed for the rest of the day, causing major traffic delays in the region. The crash has rocked the community, where Mossman-Port Douglas Sharks Rugby League Club called off all senior weekend fixtures. 'Mossman Sharks will not be travelling to Tully today. This includes all grades - thank you for your understanding,' it posted online.  A club jersey was placed at the crash scene on Saturday. Investigations into the crash continue. Forensic crash officers will return to the scene in the coming days. 'It's a head-on crash. There's no escaping that. The images display that very clearly,' Far North Police District Superintendent Mick Searle told the ABC. 'Why that has occurred is still under investigation.' Anyone with relevant information or dashcam vision is urged to contact Policelink or Crime Stoppers. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.