Survival miracle after tanker 'flattens' car

Two motorists were "very lucky" to survive after a tanker flipped on its side and "absolutely flattened" their car east of Melbourne early today, police say.

The Mitsubishi Lancer was driving on the Maroondah Highway near Maddens Lane, Coldstream, about 6.20am when the tanker truck tipped onto its side and crushed the car, trapping its two occupants.

"We believe the truck has braked or swerved to miss a slower vehicle, possibly a tractor, and he's veered over onto the wrong side of the road," Sergeant Richard Higgins told The Age.

"It's either jack-knifed or flipped. It's basically landed on its side with the other car trapped underneath it. So we have two very, very lucky people.

"The potential for disaster was extremely high. The car was absolutely flattened."

The 45-year-old male driver of the car managed to get out of the wreck and was later flown to The Alfred.

But his passenger, a 35-year-old man who was trapped for a period after the crash, suffered head injuries and abrasions and was unconscious after the accident. Both were flown to hospital in Melbourne.

The truck driver, who suffered only minor injuries, was taken by road ambulance to Royal Melbourne Hospital.

"The were flown basically because of the potential for problems having had a truck fall on their car," said Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman Susannah Wilson.

"It wasn't so much the seriousness of their injuries."

A Victoria Police spokesman said the truck was cleared from the accident site about 9am.

- © Fairfax NZ News