Four members of a well-known, successful harness racing family have been identified as the victims of what has been described as a "one in 10,000" "freak accident" at Redcliffe Paceway on Sunday.
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Lara Whitaker, 2, was in a critical but stable condition with head injuries while mother Joedy, father Gary and her one-year-old brother were also hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said one of the gates attached to the starting vehicle did not retract and hit spectators watching on the side of the track at the paceway, north of Brisbane, just before 7pm.
Marburg Pacing Association secretary Denis Smith said the "shock and horror" incident was broadcast live on Sky television.
"There was a mobile failure ... (the starting gate) wiped out the outside fence just past the closest stable block to the track," he said.
"There was small stand there and the Whitakers happened to be there and they copped it.
"It's a freak accident ... a one in 10,000 incident."
Mr Smith said Mr Whitaker had notched up hundreds of wins during his harness racing career.
Mrs Whitaker was the Marburg Pacing Association treasurer until last year when she stepped down to spend more time with her family.
The police forensic crash unit and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland are investigating.
Mr Smith welcomed the move, saying "it’s an incident that requires a thorough investigation and we need to take steps to try and minimise the risk even further".
Racing Queensland chief executive Brendan Parnell said the races scheduled for Wednesday at Redcliffe Paceway had been called off.
"Our utmost concern is for the impacted family," he said.
"It is imperative that we provide our support to the family, as well as the Redcliffe Harness Racing Club, the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission stewards and the other spectators in attendance who have been impacted by this incident.
"As such, Racing Queensland will avail a 24/7 counselling service for those impacted which we will communicate to the harness racing industry."
Racing Minister Stirling Hinchliffe described it as an "awful tragedy".
"The Redcliffe harness club is a real family affair ...,'' Mr Hinchliffe said.
"I know that the club officials and club staff are particularly upset about this incident."
Asked what had to happen before racing could resume at the track, Mr Hinchliffe said the investigation needed to examine what happened and what needed to be done to ensure there was no future risk.
Queensland Ambulance Service operations supervisor James Thompson described the scene as "fairly chaotic" when paramedics first arrived.
Two critical care paramedics, the high acuity response unit and three ambulances responded.
Lara, 2, was taken by ambulance to Queensland Children’s Hospital in a critical condition with face and abdominal injuries.
Mrs Whitaker, 39, and her son were also taken to the children's hospital, but their injuries were not life threatening.
Mr Whitaker, 39, was taken to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
All four victims were from Kensington Grove, in the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane.
- with Felicity Caldwell and Joey Cooney
