Man crushed by car saved by safety precautions

Foresight has prevented a man's certain death after the 4WD he was working under fell and crushed him in Raglan this morning.

The 36-year-old local took extra safety measures by putting a tyre and boards under the frame of the car, which supported the majority of the weight when the jack slipped.

The axle still dropped on his chest, causing crushing injuries, but the man managed to raise it, slide out and crawl to his house, where he contacted emergency services.

Westpac Waikato Air Ambulance pilot Loren Haisley, who flew him to Waikato Hospital, said the axle was still a heavy object and the man was in considerable pain.

"In my opinion, this guy did everything that was pertinent, based on the circumstances, to ensure that he had a fighting chance if this happened.

"He didn't do anything stupid - he did probably more than most people would have done. Most people would have just used the jack and not shored up the vehicle."

The man was undergoing assessments at Waikato Hospital's emergency department.

- NZPA