The driver of a car stolen in a violent carjacking is the only survivor of a catastrophic high-speed crash that killed three people.
Queensland's Bruce Highway remains closed to all traffic after the three-car collision south of Gympie about 4am on Friday.
The driver of the stolen car was taken to Gympie Hospital with serious head injuries and remains under police guard.
The vehicle had been stolen 12 hours before the highway crash in a violent carjacking in Gympie on Thursday, police have confirmed.
An alert for the vehicle was issued after a man armed with a knife threatened a mother and her three children as the family were getting into the Isuzu MU-X.
The terrified mother got her kids out of the vehicle before handing over the car to the robber.
The woman and children were not injured and police have been unable to confirm if the robber was involved in the fatal crash.
Southbound lanes of the Bruce Highway are expected to be closed for an extended period and diversions are in place.
The forensic crash unit is investigating.
