Queensland’s Homicide Investigations unit is investigating the death of a German backpacker who was stabbed during an apparent road rage attack in Brisbane on Friday.

Inspector Daniel Bragg said the attack in Petri Terrace in Brisbane “may have been a road-rage-type situation”.

“The two men were on their way back home after a night out and they were crossing the road when this altercation with the driver of the vehicle ensued,” he said.

“The vehicle, we’re led to believe, may have struck or come close to striking a male who was endeavouring to cross the road at the time.

“This developed into a physical altercation on the street, the consequence of which the male victim sustained some serious injuries.”

The man, aged in his 30s, was crossing Milton Road in Petrie Terrace with a friend about 4:00am when they were hit, or nearly hit, by a car travelling toward the CBD.

Police said they believed a verbal altercation occurred between two men who were crossing Milton Road, and a man in a vehicle which was travelling inbound on Milton Road.

A man got out of the car and got into an argument with the German backpacker.

The backpacker received stab wounds to his abdomen and back and was taken to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in a critical condition where he later died. It is believed the man and his friend were staying at a nearby backpacker hostel.

Detective Superintendent Tony Fleming described the incident as a “tragedy”.

“There’s a family on the other side of the world who will be getting news that someone they love left home and is not coming home the way they expected them to,” he said on Friday afternoon.

“Whatever caused that incident today [on Friday], the person involved would appear to have done something that is entirely unacceptable in our society.

“A young man has lost his life and I’m sure no-one woke up this morning or finished their night last night thinking that they would be involved in an altercation that would result in this.”

Police are urging the man and woman from the car to come forward, and anyone with dashcam footage who may have been in the area at the time.

“We would ask that they would think about what’s happened and certainly that we would ask that they contact the police or attend a police station so we can hear their side of the story,” he said.

“To the gentleman involved we would ask, we’re not going to stop looking so we would ask that you make yourself known to us.”

— with ABC