The incident occurred at approximately 3:20 p.m. on Bridgeman Road on 19 January 2025.
The 25-year-old rider, Matt Salty, was travelling north when his motorcycle collided with a tree. He was thrown from the bike and, despite the efforts of emergency services, died at the scene.
Investigators are working to piece together the circumstances that led to the crash and are urging anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward.
Photo Credit: Pexels
A police spokesperson emphasised that even seemingly insignificant details could prove vital to the investigation and encouraged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.
Mr Salty’s death has shocked the local community, with friends expressing their grief online and creating a roadside memorial at the scene. A planned memorial ride has been postponed.
Lily Punch, a Junior Matilda from Bridgeman Downs, is chasing big dreams with hard work: from representing Australia at the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup to aspiring for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Brisbane Olympics, and a career in Europe’s top leagues.
For over two years, Lily has proudly worn the Junior Matildas jersey. In 2024, she competed in the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup in Indonesia. Facing tough teams like China, Japan, and Thailand, Lily scored a key goal against Thailand, showcasing her talent.
Off the field, she is studying Sport Coaching through TAFE Queensland’s Academy of Sport. This program, created with Football Queensland, helps students gain recognised qualifications while still in school. Lily is working on her Certificate II and III in Sport Coaching.
Building Coaching Skills
Each week, Lily trains at the South Pine Sports Complex under Karl Dodd, a former professional player and coach. The program mixes classroom learning with hands-on coaching. It gives Lily the tools to train and connect with players effectively.
In 2024, she joined a community coaching session in Cairns. The event supported young girls from First Nations, refugee, and migrant backgrounds. For Lily, it reinforced her passion for mentoring future players.
Dreaming Big
Lily has big goals. She wants to play for Brisbane Roar and compete in Europe’s top leagues. She also dreams of representing Australia at the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Brisbane Olympics in 2032. For her, every training session and class is a step closer to these ambitions.
Bridgeman Downs is proud of Lily’s achievements. She’s not just a footballer but a role model, giving back through community coaching while chasing her own dreams.
Lily remains focused on balancing her studies and sport. As she builds her skills, she’s paving the way for a bright future in football and coaching. The community and fans alike will be cheering her on.
Two paramedics and one civilian were hospitalised after a car collided with an ambulance at the intersection of Albany Creek Rd and Beckett Rd in Bridgeman Downs on Tuesday morning, causing the emergency vehicle to flip onto its side.
The crash occurred at 7:36 AM when a Queensland Ambulance Service vehicle, responding to a code one emergency, was struck by a car.
Two paramedics sustained shoulder injuries in the rollover. They were transported to St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital in stable condition.
The occupant of the other vehicle involved suffered shoulder and knee pain and was also taken to St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital in stable condition.
The collision temporarily blocked a lane at the intersection of Bridgeman and Graham Roads.
The incident occurred just before 8 PM on July 3 at the intersection of Beckett Road and Albany Creek Road. A black Hyundai I30, reportedly stolen from nearby Lawnton earlier in the week, collided with a sign at the intersection, causing catastrophic damage to the vehicle.
Bridgeman Downs residents were among the first on the scene, describing it as “frightening,” “upsetting,” and “confronting.” One local witness reported seeing the car speeding north on Beckett Road moments before the crash, estimating its speed at an alarming “no less than 200kph.”
The impact of the collision was so severe that the teenager, allegedly the passenger of the stolen vehicle, was ejected from the vehicle, sustaining a serious head injury. He was rushed to the Queensland Children’s Hospital and is now reported to be in stable condition.
The driver, however, fled the scene on foot, leaving Bridgeman Downs community members concerned about safety in their neighbourhood. Police are currently seeking information on the driver’s whereabouts.
Footage of the aftermath, widely shared among local residents, shows the extent of the damage. The Hyundai lost all four wheels and came to rest on a traffic island, with its passenger side crumpled and front end severely damaged.
This incident has sparked discussions among Bridgeman Downs residents about road safety in their suburb, particularly along Beckett Road. Many expressed concern about speeding in the area, with one resident commenting that it was “a miracle” the boy wasn’t more seriously hurt “considering the speed and damage to the car.”
The Pinnaroo Lawn Cemetery in Bridgeman Downs has extended its apologies to a Queensland family who has been grieving yet again after discovering that their mum was buried in the wrong plot.
Sonia Jordan, 75, passed away on 21 February 2023 due to an illness and her wish was to be buried with her parents at the Brisbane north cemetery. Her family made the arrangements a month before her death and funeral services were undertaken on 1 March 2023. She is survived by her twin sister and two daughters.
However, her family was horrified to learn that Ms Jordan’s body was not on the same burial plot as her parents when they returned to the cemetery to arrange for a grave plaque with her name and her parents’ names.
Brisbane City Council manages the Pinnaroo Lawn Cemetery and admitted through a statement from Cr Vicki Howard that “an error by a private funeral director has resulted in the omission of the correct burial plot number.”
‘I am extremely sorry this has happened. As soon as I was made aware of this issue, I made sure Council officers resolved this matter in close consultation with the family.’
The deceased’s family will be reimbursed for the burial cost and other associated fees, and Ms Jordan’s body will be exhumed and relocated to the right plot at no cost, which means that the family will “have to grieve twice,” according to her son-in-law.
Bridgeman Downs is one of nine targeted suburbs in North Brisbane whose residents may request the vouchers under the city’s Free Native Plants Program, provided they have just moved into their new dwelling in the current financial year.
Also eligible are new residents of Bracken Ridge, Carseldine, Everton Park, Fitzgibbon, Hendra, McDowall, Nudge and Taigum.
Tenants who apply for the free native plants must provide approval from the owner of the property and ensure that this complies with their tenancy agreement.
Photo Credit: BCC
Applications for residents may be done two ways. The first option is at council libraries, including pop-up or mobile libraries, the ward office, or the Council Regional Business Centre. If the application is in order, the resident will receive a stamped Free Native Plants voucher that they may be presented at participating retail nurseries. The voucher is good for two native plants.
The second option is to apply at the Downfall Creek Bushland Centre, Chermside West or at the Karawatha Forest Discovery Centre in Karawatha, where they can immediately receive another pair of native plants upon approval.
The range of native plants on offer includes ground covers, tufting plants and grasses, climbers like the Wonga-wonga, shrubs like tea tree or Lillypilly, and shaded trees like the Lemon-scented myrtle. Some plants, however, may not be available for the season but can be replaced with a similar type.
Bridgeman Downs motorists heading to work on the morning of Dec 16 (Friday) witnessed a baffling scene, as actual camels slowly walked past the cars, bringing traffic to a pause along Albany Creek Road.
The camels apparently escaped the Bridgeman Baptist Community Church, where they were part of the nativity scene for the Christmas shows.
The animals weren’t likely searching for the Three Wise Men nor Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus. However, the church posted on Facebook that their “camels got a bit lost on the way to Bethlehem!”
According to Melanie Fitzgibbon, owner of Camelot Camels, her husband learned that three camels — Cyrus, Benjamin, and Morgie — were missing when he was supposed to take them for a walk after their morning feeding.
Upon discovery, the caretaker’s heart sank, but they were soon alerted to the camels’ location near a cemetery a few quarter miles away. It took them about 30 minutes to bring the camels back to their safe place.
A few hours later, the camels had their lunch and were resting comfortably before their next Christmas show at the church. The trio is still unaware they have become instant celebrities on the news and on social media.
