Slippery when wet

No one was seriously injured after a car hit a ute parked in a Colyton Street driveway.

ALISTAIR BRIGHTMAN

TREACHEROUS road conditions caused by yesterday’s downpour led to a number of accidents on the Fraser Coast.

The most serious saw four Urangan High School students’ car slide off Colyton Street, across a grass verge and into a stationary utility.

Two of the young women had to be cut from the wreckage before all four were taken to Hervey Bay Hospital.

“The two young ladies were lucky to survive what could have been a horrific road crash,” said Hervey Bay firefighters’ station officer Neil Lesmond, who helped free the injured passengers.

“Had the tray of that ute come into that vehicle in a different spot, it could have caused them serious injuries or killed them.

“The girl in the back took the fair brunt of it and the door was folded in on her.

“She had a few minor cuts and abrasions on her face, possibly from the glass.”

An ambulance spokesman said the four passengers suffered rib and neck pain but their injuries were not considered serious.

The crash happened about 11.45am but it was 12.30pm before all passengers were removed from the silver Mazda sedan.

Firefighters removed the rear driver’s side door to free one of the teens.

The impact also pushed the utility, which was parked in the driveway of a home, into a nearby boat.

Resident Phil Henderson said he was in the back room when he heard the screeching of tyres.

“Ooh yeah, it was very loud,” he said.

“We could hear the skidding and then the bangs.”

Seeing the devastation in his driveway, Mr Henderson called an ambulance.

“The girls on the passenger side were pretty crook,” he said.

“They are lucky they hit the tree first, which I think broke the fall.”

Melbourne tourist Lesley McKenzie was two streets away when she heard the crash.

“We were down in Woodland Close and it was an awful crunch,” Ms McKenzie said.

The wet conditions saw emergency services attend at least two other crashes in the Bay yesterday.

Just after noon, there was a two-vehicle crash on Pialba-Burrum Heads Road.

About 2pm, police also attended a minor crash on the corner of Boat Harbour Drive and Queens Road.

It is understood no one was injured in either accident.

With further rain predicted, Mr Lesmond warned drivers to slow down on the slippery roads.