Lucky escape after car flipped multiple times

Emergency services say the driver of this car that flipped several times in a crash on Tiniroto Road on Tuesday night was extremely lucky not to be seriously injured or killed. The car went into a drain, hit a culvert and flipped, travelling for 30 metres along the drain before coming to rest. Picture by Paul Rickard

The driver of a car that went into a drain, hit a culvert and flipped several times was walking around outside the vehicle when emergency services arrived on Tuesday night.

An emergency services spokesman said given the extensive damage to the car, he was extremely lucky not to have been seriously injured.

The crash happened on Tiniroto Road, near Brunton Road, at around 11pm.

“The car was coming from Gisborne on the straight stretch of road there and for some reason went off the road, into the drain and hit a culvert,” a senior firefighter said. “On hitting the culvert, the car flipped several times.

“It would have travelled for 30 metres along the drain before it came to rest, facing back the way it had come.”

The senior firefighter said the male driver was out of the car when the first emergency services vehicle arrived.

He was checked over by a St John ambulance crew at the scene.

“The man was very lucky not to have been seriously hurt.

“His car was significantly damaged.”

Police have an inquiry under way.