Aussie’s van flips with him and dog inside

A young Aussie man and his beloved pooch were involved in a “traumatic” freak accident on a dark and wet morning.

A young Aussie is recovering after he flipped his van during a dark and wet morning, with the traumatic experience leaving him without two fingers.

Lockie Ranson, 25, who grew up in Western Australia, has been living in his white Mercedes van for three years.

The aspiring actor and lighting assistant had spent a few days at his girlfriend Lucy’s place on the Central Coast in NSW before getting up early on Monday morning to head to a job in Sydney.

While reversing out of the steep 70m driveway in the rain and dark, things took an unexpected turn.

Lockie Ranson, 25, with his beloved four-year-old pooch, Bundy.

He lost control of his ability to steer and ended up on the right side of the driveway which ultimately caused the van to flip on the driver’s side, crushing three of his fingers.

“It was raining, wet and slippery and I started to go into the garden because I couldn’t see,” Lockie told news.com.au.

“It was dark too and a van is a big vehicle. I couldn’t go forward to recorrect it and I tried to keep reversing [but] I lost control, I over corrected it and went back onto the other side of the driveway. It’s about 15m of elevation over the entire driveway, so it’s pretty steep.”

Lockie had the window of the driver’s side down popping his head out to help navigate the large van, as it was too dark and foggy to rely on the side mirror.

On a wet and dark Monday morning, Lockie was reversing out of his girlfriend’s steep driveway when he lost control.

When the vehicle flipped, it landed on Lockie’s side with his right arm and shoulder slamming onto the pavement (through the window).

“I thought I broke my shoulder (luckily I didn’t) but I knew I f****d my hand,” he said.

“It got crushed.”

Lockie had to get his pinky and ring finger amputated, with two wires inserted into his middle finger to help save it.

Lockie was in the van with his beloved dog Bundy — the dog escaped unharmed. Lockie tried to call out for help, but nobody heard him.

Lockie, who has been living in the van for three years, had most of his belongings destroyed.

It was early on Monday morning and Lucy’s family were still asleep.

“I tried to get out myself but I had to stand up on the driver’s side window. I climbed up the seat to try get out of the passenger’s door but it wouldn’t open.

“I went back down and tried to find my phone to call triple-0. That was the scary part because I couldn’t find my phone or get out.”

Lockie yelled out for help again and this time Lucy’s brother Sam heard and began running up the driveway. He managed to rip open the passenger’s door and pull Lockie out.

By this point a terrified Lucy had also woken up and ran to the scene where she pulled out Lockie’s dog, an Australian shepherd.

Bundy – who was Lockie’s main concern – was a little shaken up but otherwise uninjured.

“He was calm, but just standing there, unsure about what was happening,” Lockie said.

“As soon as Sam pulled me out my main concern was Bundy,” Lockie said, adding he just wanted to make sure his beloved pet of four years was OK.

Lockie was rushed to Royal North Shore Hospital where he immediately underwent surgery on his three fingers.

“I had a severe laceration on my middle finger, my ring finger was only attached by ligaments and skin and my pinky was hanging off like a piece of spaghetti – so that was their main concern,” Lockie recalled.

Lockie, however, had to have his pinky and middle finger removed and a wire inserted into his model finger to help save it.

“They removed what was left of pinky and ring finger and put two wires in my middle finger to save it.

“It’s six to eight weeks in a splint – I don’t really have a lot of movement. I am getting phantom sensations and phantom pain where my brain hasn’t mapped out I don’t have fingers anymore. If I don’t look at my hand, I can still feel my pinky and ring finger.”

Lockie said his van will likely be written off as it’s undriveable, leaving the 25-yearold “technically homeless”.

Lockie, his partner Lucy and Bundy.

“I have to start from scratch, relearn to use my hand, find a new home (van) and build it.”

He embarked on his van life three years ago when he decided it was the best option for him.

“I didn’t want to be a slave to paying rent and to be able to be an actor that doesn’t rely on paycheck to paycheck.”

Lockie, who is staying with Lucy’s family in the meantime, also had his belongings destroyed in the accident.

To help her boyfriend get back on his feet, Lucy started a GoFundMe which has already raised more than $4000.

She described Lockie as the most “kind hearted, hilarious, joyful, generous person I have ever met”.

She said he always goes “above and beyond” for others and she wanted to give back to him.

“Lockie will drop anything to help anyone out. The first time we hung out, we were running late to a friends surprise birthday,” she wrote on the page.

“He saw two people stopped on the highway who looked like they needed help, he instantly pulled over to help them and we waited until they were safe and getting the help they needed. “This is one of the many times he’s done this, no matter where we are going he will always stop, and drop whatever he is doing to help a stranger out.”

Lucy said she created the page to in the hope that he can receive some of the support he is so often giving, adding any donation, big or small, is greatly appreciated.