Woman survives car plunge over bank

The driver suffered a broken leg when her car landed on its roof, after going through the fence and flying over another vehicle parked in the driveway. Photo / APN

A 58-year-old woman suffered a broken leg when her car left the road in Tauranga, smashing through a fence and falling several metres over a bank into a property below.

The car landed on its roof but the woman was not trapped and was conscious when emergency services arrived at the scene in Ngatai Rd.

Tania De la Haye was in her house at the time the car fell into her property. "I heard the loud crash and I just grabbed the phone ... I called and said, 'Just send everyone'."

Mrs De la Haye's neighbour, Sherylee Barnaby, was standing in her kitchen when she saw the accident.

"[I looked] straight up at the road ... I just saw the red streak go through the fence. Straight through and straight over.

"I went running out the door to see if everything was all right.

"My main concern was her [the driver], so I was keeping her calm and speaking with her.

"She was very lucky to be wearing a seatbelt. She's one very lucky lady."

Mount St John shift manager Gary Bishell said the woman was taken to Tauranga Hospital in a stable condition.

A witness to the crash told Senior Firefighter Craig Dempsey the woman was travelling up the Ngatai Rd hill when she crossed to the other side and broke through the fence.

Mrs De la Haye's car was parked in her driveway when the other car broke through the fence. It flew over her car and landed further on.

"I can't believe it didn't hit my car and it didn't hit my house," she said.