By Kyra Gillespie
A 21-year-old woman was taken to Dandenong Hospital with head and back injuries after she rolled her car on Bessie Creek Road, Nar Nar Goon North.
The young driver was travelling south along the dirt road when the car she was travelling in lost control around a right-hand bend, hurtling across the road and down the embankment just before 7am on Wednesday 8 August.
Fortunately, off-duty firefighter Chris Bourne was passing on his way to work when he noticed a small flashing light near the accident area.
“I was on my way to worked when I happened to see a light flashing in the bush,” Chris said.
“I noticed marks on the side of the road so I backed my car up and saw the car, which was flipped on its side.
“I walked over and yelled out and found her sort of squatting inside her car trying to get out. I checked her for any neck pain, cuts or abrasions first before trying to get her out.
“I put down the front and back seat and got her out through the boot.”
Chris said the car was difficult to spot at first because of the way the car was situated and it was still dark.
“The undersides of cars are black, so that’s why I could only see a small light in the scrub.
“She was a bit shaken up but she was fine.”
Chris lives in Gembrook, but works as a fulltime firefighter at Morwell CFA.
Before that he worked in rescue services for the Metropolitan Fire Brigade in town.
The seasoned firey has been to plenty of accidents in his time, so for him the rescue was nothing out of the ordinary.
“I’m not really a hero, I didn’t even do that much.
“She basically walked out of the car; I just kept her calm until the emergency services turned up.”
Senior Constable Staley, of the Cardinia Highway Patrol, said the car only narrowly missed hitting a cluster of trees.
“She was very lucky,” he said.
Snr Con Staley said driver inexperience and the wet road conditions contributed to the single vehicle rollover.
An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said the woman is currently in a stable condition.
