A man and two teenagers are dead after a horror fatal crash on Queensland’s Western Downs.

Police said a ute and a sedan crashed along Dalby Jandowae Road at Jimbour East, about 240 kilometres north-west of Brisbane, about 11am on Monday.

“Three occupants of the sedan, a man and two children, sustained critical injuries and were declared deceased at the scene,” they said.

“The fourth occupant of the sedan, a woman, was airlifted to hospital in critical condition.”

The ages of those involved have not been released, but the teenagers were a girl and a boy.

RACQ LifeFlight said the woman, who was in her 40s, had suffered “multiple traumatic injuries”. She was flown to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

The male driver of the ute was taken to Dalby Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Senior Sergeant Greg Wheeler said the incident was devastating.

“You know, a family basically here one minute, not the next – it’s very difficult to fathom how it’s actually occurred,” he told the ABC.

Wheeler urged drivers to take more care on the road.

“Pay attention to what you’re doing, follow all the ‘fatal five‘ rules,” he said.

“Life’s pretty short and can disappear pretty quick, so please be careful.”

Dalby Jandowae Road remained closed into Monday afternoon. Motorists were urged to avoid the area.

Queensland Police’s forensic crash unit is investigating the circumstances of the crash.