Hastings shuts as mates grieve | News

Kieran Campbell | 30th November 2008

SHOCKED workmates of a man who died when his motorcycle and a B-double semi-trailer collided on Friday were sent home.

Colleagues of Rockhampton man Ian Semple, 27, were told to go home from the engineering company Hastings Deering, where he worked as a diesel fitter.

Mr Semple, who suffered horrific injuries in the accident on Gladstone Road, was a keen motorcyclist who had been married to his wife Tamara for just 18-months.

Members of his family were still too distressed to speak about his death yesterday.

However, one workmate, Nathan Lomas, yesterday told The Morning Bulletin: “Just tell them he was a good bloke”.

Mr Lomas said Mr Semple was a top bloke, down-to-earth and liked by everyone.

“He was a good bloke, one of those fellas you could always have a bit of a chat to, he'd always stop and have a bit of a chat,” Mr Lomas said.

He said Mr Semple had a handlebar moustache he had been growing for Movember.

Mr Lomas recalled how Mr Semple would play jokes at school with his identical twin brother.

“We had drinks on Friday night and had a bit of a toast to him,” Mr Lomas said.

“Everyone's taking it a bit hard, there are a few guys taking it a bit harder.

“It will be hard at work. He wasn't on our shift, but he still mingled with all the blokes.

“I've never had a work colleague die; it's a little bit weird. I knew him pretty well.”

Mr Lomas said that only hours before the tragic accident, he had been having his hair cut just down the road from where the tragic events took place.

Mr Semple, of Koongal, was travelling south-bound along Gladstone Road when he had a head-on collision with a B-double at the Stanley Street intersection.

He had been returning to work at Hastings Deering after a meal break.

The force of the impact smashed the bike and Mr Semple's helmet was thrown more than 25m from the crash scene.

Witnesses said those first on scene after hearing the loud crash about 4.15pm had to stop others going to help.

Police believe the motorcyclist may have been speeding south-bound along Gladstone Road when he hit the truck, which was turning across Gladstone Road into Stanley Street.

It wasn't the rider's first crash.Only last year Mr Semple managed a smile after an accident on his powerful new $12,000, 1000cc motorcycle.

He had described how in April, 2007, he was catapulted into the air after hitting the back of a car.

But Mr Lomas said it was out of character for the diesel fitter to be speeding.

“It was a fast bike, but he wasn't a bad person on the bike,” Mr Lomas said.

“We're all shaking our heads about it because he didn't go quickly.

“I'm a motorbike rider myself and I know if you're riding along, you look down for one second and look up and something is in front of you,” he said.

Family members now grieving their loss are Mr Semple's wife Tamara, parents Robert and Mary, twin brother Reade (married to Kellie), and brothers Lyle (married to Andie) and Quinton.

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