Lucky escape for teen driver and young passenger after near miss with kangaroo on Gawler Bypass

A teenage driver and his young passenger have received a Christmas miracle, emerging from a wild crash when they swerved to dodge a kangaroo.

A teenage driver and 10-year-old passenger have had a miraculous escape after a near-miss with a kangaroo at Gawler Belt.

The driver 17, and young passenger, both from Blakeview, were travelling along the Gawler Bypass about 10pm on Sunday night when they swerved to miss a kangaroo that hopped onto the road.

Their black Daihatsu station wagon went down an embankment and hit a pole “before being speared across to the other side of the road and rolling several times”, police said.

Police arrived to find the station wagon with significant damage. The youths were taken to hospital for observation but have since been released.

The car was damaged beyond repair and had to be towed from the scene.

Barossa Local Service Area acting Officer in Charge Chief Inspector Ryan Bowman said seatbelts saved the lives of the two minors.

“Whilst it is unfortunately common for these types of road accidents in country areas, what saved the life or lives of these two occupants was they were wearing a seatbelt,” he said

“Without doubt, if they hadn’t of been wearing a seatbelt, this likely would’ve ended in a family having to deal with trauma at Christmas time of losing a loved one”.