EMERGENCY SCENE: The driver of a LandRover which rolled in a recreational area west of Bathurst yesterday suffered a collapsed lung. Photo: ZENIO LAPKA 100112zprang2
FORENSIC services police were last night trying to find out what caused a four-wheel drive to roll over several times in the Macquarie Woods.
The vehicle’s driver was trapped before being freed by bystanders, and was transported to Orange hospital suffering a collapsed lung, broken leg and broken pelvis.
The accident occurred just before 4.30pm yesterday, when police received a Triple-0 call that a four-wheel-drive had rolled and people were trapped inside the vehicle in the recreational area off Cashens Lane, about 30 kilometres west of Bathurst.
Police said the LandRover Discovery V8 was travelling north along a dirt road in the picnic area and lost control, before rolling several times and coming to rest on its roof.
The driver of the vehicle, a 29-year-old man, was freed by witnesses who ran to the scene after hearing the crash.
Canobolas Local Area Command Inspector Mick White commended the actions of those at the scene.
“One of the men had a jack and was able to jack the car up so they could get the driver out. They’ve all done really well,” he said.
Inspector White said police were not ruling out speed as a factor in the crash.
“We’re still investigating what happened. Forensic Services Group are conducting examinations of the scene,” he said.
Inspector White said blood samples of the driver would be taken at Orange hospital and police would interview the driver and passengers.
While the driver remained in a serious condition yesterday, his two passengers, a 21-year-old man and 12-year-old boy, were lucky to escape with only minor injuries.