Dayne Beams taken to hospital after crashing car into power pole

Collingwood premiership player Dayne Beams has avoided a brush with serious injury after being knocked unconscious when his car crashed into a power pole in Donvale. Now, pictures of the lucky escape have emerged.

Collingwood star Dayne Beams spent last night in hospital recovering from minor injuries after a car accident in Melbourne’s east yesterday.

The star midfielder, who was on leave of absence from the club as he battles mental health issues, was driving and was alone in the car, police said.

He was taken to hospital and treated for minor injuries.

No one else was hurt.

The accident happened on Park Road, Donvale, about 4.45pm.

Witnesses have claimed he was unconscious for several minutes after the accident, 9 News reports, with photos emerging of the accident involving a Kia Sportage.

Pictures, showing the car’s air bags deployed and in front of a power pole, show it sustained minor bonnet damage.

It’s understood Beams was discharged from Maroondah Hospital today.

His wife, Kelly, was not at her Boronia beauty clinic today and staff would not comment in her absence.

Dayne Beams has had a lucky escape after crashing into a pole in Donvale. Picture: Supplied

The strech of Park Road, Donvale, where Beams crashed is opposite Whitefriars College.

Park Road resident Brett Stanford was inside his home when he heard a “loud bang” and rushed to the accident scene.

“I thought that was obviously an accident, it was a loud bang,” Mr Stanford said.

“The driver wasn’t in a great shape for 10 minutes or so. He was groggy after 15 minutes, not sure what had happened.

“He had hit the pole.

“The airbags were deployed and there was a lot of smoke coming from the car.

“People had stopped to pull over and were worried.”

Mr Stanford said the pole Beams hit was “badly damaged” and risked falling over entirely.

“It was on a big lean, it was cracked,” he said.

The scene attracted many good samaritans who pulled over to offer assistance as well as police, fire crews and paramedics.

The stretch of road where Beams crashed his vehicle is a 60km/h zone and on a downward slope opposite Whitefriars College.

The accident is believed to have caused a local blackout.

Victoria Police told the Herald Sun: “A car struck a pole on Park Road.

“The only occupant of the vehicle, a man aged in his 30s, was taken to hospital for observation and assessment.

“The exact cause of the crash is being investigated.”

The accident scene in Donvale, about 25km east of Melbourne’s CBD.

Collingwood issued a statement this morning.

“Collingwood can confirm that Dayne Beams was involved in a motor vehicle accident yesterday afternoon,” the statement says.

“Dayne was admitted to hospital with minor injuries from the incident.

“He remained in hospital overnight.”

Beams, who turned 30 this week, posted a video to Instagram on February 4 talking about his journey into art and how it lifted his mood.

“I wake up every morning now and I have a real purpose and a passion and I love what I do,” he says.

“I equally love the joy that I see my customers get when they receive my pieces.

“That really makes me feel good about myself.”

A side table featuring an image of a magpie created by Beams. Picture: Dayne Beams

A painting by Beams. Picture: Dayne Beams

Beams spent time recovering in hospital after suffering an adverse reaction to medication in September last year.

The AFL Players’ Association threw its support behind Beams when he announced in December he was taking an indefinite break from the game.

Beams said he was seeking “a brighter future” as he put his AFL career on hold for the second time in six months.

AFLPA general manager of player development Ben Smith said the AFL industry was always trying to bolster support mechanisms for the rising number of players struggling to deal with the pressures of the game.

“Elite athletes aren’t immune to mental health issues, so it’s not a shock when AFL players reveal they are struggling,” Smith said at the time.

Beams auctioned his 2010 premiership medal in December to help raise money for bushfires victims.

Beams gets his Premiership Medal in 2010.

Collingwood bought the medal for $27,500 to keep it at the club.

“A big thank you to Ed and the footy club for purchasing the medal,” Beams said on Instagram in December.

“It’s a little bit funny, but fantastic that it’s staying at the Holden Centre and everyone can get a look at it.

“The most important thing is the amount of money that we raised … it’s going to people that really need it at this time.”

Beams - who forgave a 13-year-old boy last year for trolling him - continues to attract abuse on social media.

Just this week his wife, Kelly, posted a series of photos of Beams with his children on Instagram to celebrate his birthday.

A troll responded to one post, levelling vile abuse at the Collingwood star.

Beams played 110 games for Collingwood from 2009 to 2014 before joining the Brisbane Lions, playing from 2015 to 2018 and captaining the club.

He returned to Collingwood in 2019.

More to come

Originally published as Dayne Beams taken to hospital after crashing car into power pole