Train 8868 was nearing the end of its journey from Rockhampton to the Brisbane port of Fisherman Islands when it passed signal FS66 showing a stop aspect. The passing of this signal at stop circumvented the initial phase of the level crossing protection and the train passed through the Pritchard Road level crossing before the boom gates were in the horizontal position.

The driver probably experienced a micro-sleep event approaching the signal and there was no secondary protection measures to guard against such an error in a single driver operation.