A MAN has escaped with only minor injuries after a high-speed car rollover where a utility became airborne and hit a tree.
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Police are investigating whether alcohol played a role in the crash, which occurred at 11.50pm Tuesday on Tone Road.
The Wandiligong man, 25, had been driving his black Holden utility southbound at a high speed.
Police estimate the vehicle could have been travelling at about 120km/h on the 80km/h road.
The vehicle struck a median strip, rolled several times and hit a tree.
Police believe the car became airborne for about 13 metres during the incident.
The 2010 model Holden was extensively damaged.
The impact sheared off two wheels and smashed the front windscreen.
Despite the damage to the vehicle, the driver freed himself before emergency services arrived and was walking around the scene.
Acting Sergeant Paul Groves said officers had initially feared the worst.
“When police arrived, their first thought was that it could have possibly been a fatal,” he said.
“He was extremely lucky.
“The vehicle was extensively damaged.
“He was very lucky to escape with only minor injuries.”
The man was taken to hospital and a blood sample was taken to determine if he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The results are likely to take several weeks and the man has been released.
“We are asking anyone who saw the accident to contact Wangaratta police,” Acting Sergeant Groves said.
The crash came at the end of Operation Furlong which ran as part of the Melbourne Cup long weekend.
Alcohol-affected drivers on highways and freeways were targeted by the highway patrol unit from Friday to Tuesday.
Over the five days, police detected 12 drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs and handed out 143 other offences.
Wodonga highway patrol Sergeant Cameron Roberts said, given the increased police presence, drivers largely got the message.
The biggest incidents at the weekend included a driver whose car was impounded after they were caught travelling at 149km/h on the Hume Highway on Friday.
Police also attended a rollover at Berringama about 12.10pm on Tuesday.