TWO drivers in the region were lucky to escape serious injury after separate accidents with kangaroos on Wednesday evening.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The first accident occurred at 6.30pm when a driver swerved to miss a kangaroo on McIvor Road, Harcourt North, near the Barkers Creek Reservoir.
The 67-year-old male driver, of Strathfieldsaye, hit a tree after swerving and the car rolled onto its side. The accident occurred near a sharp right-hand bend.
The driver was taken to Bendigo Health with minor head injuries.
The second accident was at 8pm at Maiden Gully when a 53-year-old female driver collided with a kangaroo while travelling west on the Calder Highway near Wicks Road.
The kangaroo went through the front windscreen and landed on the driver and 11-year-old passenger.
Senior Constable Dale Andrews said the kangaroo appeared to initially survive the collision and hopped away from two occupants after the accident, fleeing the scene.
The back windscreen of the Mazda station wagon was blown out on impact.
The two occupants of the car were taken to Bendigo Health with minor injuries.
Senior Constable Andrews said the best way to handle a kangaroo on the road was to avoid swerving.
"It's usually better to hit them than to swerve to avoid them," he said.
"Instead of hitting the kangaroo, you could end up hitting a tree which is likely to be much worse for the driver."