Man recovering in hospital after three hour rescue operation

The Wagga man driving the vehicle is still recovering in hospital after the single-vehicle crash, which occurred on Thursday. 

The car appeared to be travelling in a straight line when it left the road and rolled at least once at Chiltern.

His white Ford Falcon rolled and took out three trees, before slamming into a large tree and coming to a rest on an angle.

SES volunteers stabilised the car before cutting the man from the vehicle, and he was driven to Albury Hospital about three hours after the crash.

The roof of the car had to be cut and peeled back during the rescue, and the Ford’s windows also had to be broken. 

The man was lucky to escape with his life - the tree impacted about a metre in front of the driver’s door, narrowly missing him.

He had been travelling southbound to Melbourne when the road left the road for an unknown reason about 4.20pm, and the car travelled about 60 metres after leaving the road. 

Police are investigating the cause and say it’s too early to determine what led to the crash. 

“Police are looking at all avenues of enquiry,” Sergeant Mick Savage said. 

“We are not ruling anything out.” 

It’s believed police returned to the scene on Friday to take measurements, and the damaged vehicle will also be examined. 

Sergeant Savage had earlier said the man had been lucky to be alive. 

He said there was no early indication of what had led to the crash which is why police are seeking witnesses. 

The incident comes after a string of crashes in the region. 

There were four serious truck crashes in Albury-Wodonga early last week, including a crash that flung a driver from his vehicle at Kergunyah on Wednesday. 

The man had to be airlifted to the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne with multiple broken bones and head injuries. 

A two-car car crash that killed two men in Yarrawonga earlier this month is also being investigated. 

Police believe speed was a factor in the July 3 crash, which also left a woman critically injured.