Aussie truck driver's 'lucky' escape after tree branch impales windscreen
The 62-year-old was travelling along a highway when his vehicle left the road, crashing into a tree.
A truck driver has miraculously avoided serious injury after crashing into a tree before a large branch impaled the windscreen, narrowly missing him.
The 62-year-old man was travelling along the Dukes Highway in South Australia, just west of Bordertown, when his vehicle left the road just before 6am on Saturday.
Upon impact, a large tree branch pierced through the windscreen and into the truck's cabin. Incredible images shared by SA Police show how close the branch came to impaling the driver who was still in the truck at the time.
Thankfully, the man managed to get out of the cab and appears to have sustained relatively minor injuries, SA Police said. He was taken by ambulance to the Bordertown Hospital.
Police said the driver is lucky to be alive and have urged all drivers to take care on the roads. "Drive to the conditions and have regular rest breaks on longer trips," they said.
Incredible footage shows Aussie man's close call with nature
Schoolies 'lucky to be alive' after freak accident at tourist hotspot
Schoolies freak accident: 'Came out of nowhere'
Last month, a group of girls celebrating Schooling survived a similar accident when they were travelling around K'gari in Queensland — formerly known as Fraser Island. A fallen tree went straight through their windscreen and speared through the seat of a passenger who miraculously ducked out of the way. Those rushing to the scene to help were amazed nobody was killed.
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Red Frogs National Coordinator Andy Gourley, whose team was first on the scene, said the group had "come around the corner and not seen the fallen tree" when it "just went straight through the car".
Speaking to the Today show from the driveway of their Ipswich accommodation not long after the incident, with the smashed-up wreck of their car parked behind them, the girls described the terrifying moment.
"Well, it was like, we were barely going 30km/h, but the road was just terrible for the car," one said. "Then the tree just came out of nowhere … I only saw it in the last second."
Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new weekly newsletter showcasing the week’s best stories.
