Two people have been taken to hospital after a truck rolled on a major Melbourne freeway. The B-double truck flipped before smashing into a metal barrier along the Western Ring Road off ramp, above the Princes Freeway in Melbourne's West, about 7:20 am on Saturday.
A load of chipboard sheeting being transported by the truck then fell onto the highway and hit a passing car. The 50-year-old female driver of the car suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital, while emergency crews raced to free the truck driver.
Fire Rescue Victoria Commander Andrew Morton said the first step was to secure the truck as it was partially hanging off the bridge. "It was hanging over the bridge somewhat, so the most important thing was to make sure the vehicle moved no further, that our crews were safe, and the driver experienced no further movement," Morton said. "It was quite a complex task. There were a few challenges involved, but rescue technicians did the job really well."
Crews were then able to cut open the cabin of the vehicle and free the 61-year-old female driver, who was taken to hospital in a stable condition. "She was stable when she was transported," Morton said. "She had been trapped for a significant period of time, but it appears she's in a reasonable condition."
Footage from the scene of the wreckage showed piles of chipboard scattered across the highway, which Morton said would take hours to clear. All city-bound traffic was shut down on the Princes Freeway. The closure caused a standstill for commuters traveling for the long weekend as police launch an investigation into what caused the crash.
Morton said the driver of the car was "very lucky" to have sustained minimal injuries during the accident. "Things could have been far worse, the outcome is remarkably good considering."
