A steel safety barrier was all that stopped a vehicle plunging down a 7m bank between Raes Junction and Island Block early yesterday.
Senior Constable Jape Wanoa, of Roxburgh, said the driver of the Nissan Terrano, an 18-year-old Southland woman, travelling towards Roxburgh, had apparently lost control of the vehicle on a sharp bend.
"The only thing that prevented the car going over a bank with about a 7m drop was the crash barrier, so they were really lucky," he said.
The driver had reported the accident to Alexandra police later that morning. Snr Const Wanoa believed there were passengers in the vehicle.
A "Good Samaritan" had towed the crashed vehicle off the road.
The bend, on State Highway 8, was the site of several crashes and Snr Const Wanoa said he would be discussing it with The New Zealand Transport Agency.
"It has a bit of history. There's a few people who have come to grief there."
The accident was still being investigated, he said.
