Police have launched an investigation after a tradie was flown to hospital after he spent almost three hours trapped underneath a garbage truck in Sydney’s northern beaches.
Emergency services rushed to Barrenjoey Road at Bilgola Beach just before 7am Monday to reports a 30-year-old man had been flattened by a truck carrying vegetation.
The garbage truck had rolled on the notorious “Bilgola Bends” and landed on the ute, crushing it and trapping the driver.
Crews worked to free the driver from the cabin of his ute after he was flattened, with NSW Fire and Rescue having to call in the heavy lift crane to remove the garbage truck from the crushed car.
A NSW Ambulance spokesman said the man had been freed and stabilised before he was flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital just before 10am.
He was “miraculously” in a stable condition with only minor injuries of cuts and abrasions to his head, neck, shoulder and legs, the spokesman said.
“It’s a miracle this patient only suffered minor injuries,” NSW Ambulance inspector David Lambert said.
Crews who worked to free the 30-year-old tradie said he was conscious and responding to them throughout the rescue operation.
The 26-year-old male driver of the garbage truck appeared to be uninjured and had been taken earlier txjmtzywo Northern Beaches Hospital for assessment.
NSW Police and Fire and Rescue crews are still working to remove the truck, which remains on its side more than three hours after the incident was first reported to emergency services.
Officers from Northern Beaches Police have established a crime scene and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Four ambulance road crews were dispatched to the scene, as well as a critical care team on the Toll rescue helicopter.
“Heavy Rescue” specialists from Narrabeen Fire Station were called in to assist, along with the crane.
“This is a timely reminder that calling triple-0 when you are involved in or see a crash can be the difference between life and death,” FRNSW Superintendent Scott Dodson said.
Barrenjoey Rd had to be closed in both directions at the Bilgola Bends, with commuters warned to avoid the area if possible.
A NSW Transport Management Centres spokeswoman said light vehicles could use the Serpentine to get around the road closure.
“Traffic is heavy in both directions. The advice would be to avoid that area and go a different way if you can,” she said.
Three bus routes were also temporarily affected, with the Route 199 starting at Newport Beach instead of Palm Beach and the Route 191 and 192 not running at all.
