Springs from the suspension were strewn across the road, one wheel had turned at a 90-degree angle and two men were inside the car which was scrunched against the concrete power pole on the passenger side.
They were both breathing but the passenger was breathing quite badly, Stabler said.
"He looked in a bad way but I was surprised he was still breathing," he said.
His yearly first-aid training was being put into practice as he remained calm and spoke with the men until a medic came to deal with the man in a more serious condition.
Emergency services at the scene of a crash on Iles Rd. Photo / Ben Fraser
"It's just about looking after them," he said.
A neighbour said she had heard the crash which sounded like thunder and was "really loud."
A woman who lived on Selwyn Rd said she was out walking when it happened and spoke to neighbours afterwards.
"Apparently all the houses shook," she said.
Iles Rd resident Charles Edwards said the road and surrounding streets had become a rat-run for motorists wanting to avoid peak traffic along Te Ngae Rd.
