P plater’s split second decision saves her from car explosion

Chiara Hocking was on a remote Victorian road when she made the life saving decision to pull over and get out of her Nissan Micra.

A woman who heard a “loud bang” while driving has shared her lifesaving decision to pull over and get out, with her car exploding into flames just minutes later.

Chiara Hocking was in her black Nissan Micra on Victoria’s Beechworth-Wangaratta Road when she heard the alarming noise and decided to pull over.

Devastating video filmed from the safety of another car and later shared to TikTok showed her vehicle entirely engulfed in flames shortly after.

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Chiara Hocking was distraught at the scene. Picture: TikTok/chiarahocking1

Her Micra went up in flames. Picture: TikTok/chiarahocking1

Ms Hocking, a P plate driver, was distraught while watching the fire destroy her car.

Her video showed firefighters arriving to extinguish the blaze, with giant plumes of opaque smoke shown shooting into the sky.

Once the blaze was out, she filmed as she walked over to the car to inspect the damage.

It had been entirely charred on the exterior, while the interior’s seats, floor and roof had been burnt to a crisp.

To Ms Hocking and many of her viewer’s surprise though, there was one surviving item among the wreckage.

A bright red jacket, apparently part of the Bunnings employee uniform, was completely intact and vibrant as ever.

The car was completely destroyed. Picture: TikTok/chiarahocking1

It had to be lifted onto a truck with a forklift. Picture: TikTok/chiarahocking1

“The Bunnings jacket survived,” one respondent wrote, with Ms Hocking replying, “Yes was very lucky”.

Other viewers expressed their relief that Ms Hocking was not injured in the ordeal, while some joked the car’s damage would “buff out”.

“Look I’d say it’s just the head gasket and you’ll be right,” one jokester wrote, with another remarking, “Why not just push it away from the fire underneath?” ️

A witness claimed they saw an ambulance leave the scene, originally fearing the driver had been injured.

Originally published as P plater’s split second decision saves her from car explosion