EastLink: Box Hill man arrested after crash in Melba Tunnel near Donvale

A man who allegedly ran from the scene of a nasty two car crash in an EastLink tunnel and was taken to hospital has been remanded to face court.

A Box Hill man was arrested after he allegedly fled from a crash scene in the Melba Tunnel on EastLink on April 3. File picture.

A man has been charged after he allegedly ran off after his car flipped and crashed in an EastLink tunnel.

Police rushed to the scene and blocked off traffic in the Melba tunnel on the toll road in Donvale, following reports of a two-car crash about 7.50pm on Sunday.

Investigators believe one of the cars, an allegedly stolen silver Mazda sedan, collided with a white Honda hatchback, flipped and hit a barrier in the tunnel.

The driver of the Mazda, a 28-year-old Box Hill man, allegedly ran from the crash scene, prompting a police search.

Officers found him nearby, arrested him, and took him into custody for questioning.

The man was later assessed by paramedics and transferred to hospital under police guard.

An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said a man believed to be in his 20s suffered back pain and was taken to Box Hill Hospital in a serious condition.

Two people inside the Honda were uninjured in the incident.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the Box Hill man had been charged with careless driving, car theft, drug and other traffic-related offences.

The man was remanded to appear at Ringwood Magistrates’ Court on April 20.

Any witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage can phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.