Inches from death: Woman lucky to be alive as motorway sign falls, crushes car

A woman is lucky to be alive after an overhead motorway sign came crashing down and crushed her car on a Melbourne highway.

The heart-stopping moment was captured on dashcam by a witness driving behind the lady, with the video capturing just how close the 53-year-old woman behind the wheel came to death.

Driver Nella Lettieri was driving on the Tullamarine Freeway yesterday at 5.15pm when the five-by-four metre sign came loose and came crashing down.

Footage shows the sign bounce just inches in front of Lettieri's car before coming crashing down on her car, caving the roof in and leaving smashed glass and debris all over the road.

The woman had to swerve to avoid driving head on into a fallen sign. Photo / 9 News

The back of Lettieri's car was crumbled and the 53-year-old was taken to hospital with minor neck injuries.

This is the moment an overhead motorway sign came crashing down onto a woman's car in Melbourne. Photo / 9 News

Witness Ali Murad said he's lucky it wasn't him in the firing line.

"She was driving a big SUV, I was driving a smaller car … it would've crushed my car," he told 9 News.

The sign was installed in late 2017, with Vic Roads spokesperson Robyn Seymour saying "there was no visible sign this was going to occur".

Major Roads Project Victoria and Victoria Police are currently investigating with engineers set to inspect the condition of similar road signs over the coming days.

Major Road Projects Authority delivery director Graeme Chambers said "experts say there are no concerns that it will happen again" and they are taking this "very seriously".