Truck Overturns on Melbourne Freeway, Causing Delays and Injuries

A large truck has rolled over on a ramp from the M80 Ring Road to the Princes Freeway at Laverton North in Melbourne, losing its entire load. Emergency services have freed the 61-year-old female driver, who was trapped in the truck, and taken her to hospital. Motorists are being advised of delays because of Princes Freeway closures where the roadway becomes the West Gate Freeway. Two drivers have been injured after a truck rolled on a freeway bridge in Melbourne's west this morning. Police said the B-double truck rolled onto its side before crashing into a metal barrier on the Western Ring Road off ramp about 7:20am. The truck's full load of chipboard sheeting fell from the overpass onto the Princes Freeway below with debris hitting a passing vehicle. The driver of that car, a 50-year-old woman, suffered minor injuries. The truck driver was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after a lengthy operation to cut the 61-year-old from the cabin. Fire Rescue Victoria Commander Andrew Morton said the first crews had to immediately set about stabilising the truck. "It was hanging over the bridge somewhat so the most important thing was to make sure the vehicle moved no further, that our crews were safe and the driver experienced no further movement," he said. He said crews were then able to cut open the cabin to get to the driver. "She was stable when she was transported," Commander Morton said. "She had been trapped for a significant period of time but it appears she's in a reasonable condition." Ambulance Victoria said Advanced Life Support paramedics treated one person at the scene and transported them to the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Section of road known for incidents Several tonnes of chipboard lay scattered over the freeway below the bridge and the slope beside the wrecked truck. Commander Morton said it would take several hours to clean up the debris. The incident has affected four major roadways — shutting all city-bound lanes of the Princes Freeway at the entrance to the West Gate Freeway and Geelong Road at Laverton North. The ramp from the M80 Ring Road to the Princes Freeway outbound is also closed. There have been four serious incidents in the same spot over the past five years. The Department of Transport said about 140,000 vehicles used the M80 Ring Road each day. "We regularly inspect the road network and work closely with our road safety partners to maintain our network and identify any necessary improvements," a spokesperson said.