Ute driver, 64, who ploughed his car into a packed rural café sparking an explosion that killed two people dies just months before a formal inquiry
- A Queensland ute driver who crashed into a cafe causing an explosion has died
- Brian Andrew Scutt has died in Cairns hospital, four years after the tragic event
- Two people died and more than 20 injured after gas bottles exploded on impact
- His death comes just months before a formal inquiry into the event was due
A Queensland ute driver who slammed his car into a cafe, causing an explosion that killed two people, has died.
Brian Andrew Scutt suffered a heart attack while behind the wheel and ploughed into the Serves You Right cafe in Ravenshoe in north Queensland in 2015.
The impact ignited two large gas bottles, causing a massive fireball, which killed cafe manager and mother-of-two Nicole Nyholt, 37, and 83-year-old grandmother Margaret Clarke.
Nineteen people were injured. Mr Scutt spent several weeks in a coma after breaking his back and sustaining burns in the blast.
Brian Andrew Scutt (pictured) has died in hospital just months before a formal inquest into his horrific car crash into a north Queensland cafe in 2015
The horrific explosion (pictured) shot a ball of flames out both sides of the cafe
He woke up weeks later with no recollection of the crash.
The 64-year-old died last week in Cairns hospital, with his funeral held today.
His death came just months before a formal inquiry was due into the incident, which had previously been rescheduled after the death of witness Ken Connolly, who was Mr Scutt’s GP.
Nicole Dempsey (pictured right) died after suffering severe burns in the tragic event
Following the crash, many of those injured and burnt from the flames said that Mr Scutt was not to blame for the tragic event.
Mr Scutt was charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death but was deemed unfit to face trial.
He suffered from dementia and seizures, and was told he was unfit to drive by doctors before the incident.
His funeral notice says that Mr Scutt was a ‘loved father’ and ‘dearly loved husband.’