An injured man flagged down a passing driver and was treated by ambulance officers before being taken to Warrnambool Base Hospital with head injuries.
A MACARTHUR man is in a serious condition at Melbourne’s The Alfred hospital after his car burst into flames during a rollover north of Port Fairy early Saturday morning.
A police spokesman said the accident happened about 12.30am Saturday when the 54-year-old driver lost control of his vehicle on a bend along the Hamilton-Port Fairy Road, about eight kilometres north of Port Fairy.
The vehicle rolled a number of times, causing the driver to be ejected before the car burst into flames.
The injured man flagged down a passing driver and was treated by ambulance officers before being taken to Warrnambool Base Hospital with head injuries.
Police and emergency services officers at one stage thought the occupant was still in the car while it was alight. The fire spread to a nearby paddock and district CFA units were called to contain the blaze.
The vehicle was incinerated and police officers said the driver was lucky to be alive.
He was flown by air ambulance to The Alfred hospital on Saturday with bleeding on the brain.
An Alfred hospital spokeswoman said the man was in a serious but stable condition.
Investigations are continuing into the cause of the accident.
In a busy weekend for police across the south-west, Warrnambool officers are seeking information from the public after a man was knocked unconscious and had his five-litre keg of rum stolen early Saturday morning.
Constable Emily Durham, of Warrnambool police, said the robbery happened between midnight Friday and 2am Saturday near the intersection of Warrnambool’s Daltons Road and Hopetoun Road.
The 18-year-old male victim was walking home from a friend’s house when a vehicle pulled up behind him. Three or four offenders got out of the car and struck him to the head.
“The victim has been knocked unconscious and offenders have taken his NAB debit card, some cash and his five-litre keg of Bundy rum,” Constable Durham said.
“An unknown female found the victim on the ground. The victim was transported to Warrnambool Base Hospital, where he was treated and had scans to his neck.”
Constable Durham said police wanted to speak to the good Samaritan who assisted the victim and anyone else with information about the robbery.
“We would appeal for any witnesses to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or the Warrnambool police station,” she said.
. A man and woman who clocked up an unpaid $172 bill travelling by taxi from Portland to Warrnambool on Saturday will be charged on summons.
Sergeant Cameron Ross, of Warrnambool police, said the duo tried to avoid the fare, then hid on the Warrnambool to Melbourne train.
. Police say a fire which burnt sheds and about six hectares of property near Colac isn’t being treated as suspicious.
Detective Senior Constable Mick Palmer, of the Colac police crime investigation unit, said the fire near Irrewarra was reported about 3.30pm Friday.