A 44-year-old woman was taken to Royal North Shore Hospital after a Forestville rescue freed her from beneath a four-wheel drive that rolled backwards from a carport at an Arthur Street home. She suffered serious injuries to her legs and pelvis and was in a stable condition.
Four-Wheel Drive Rolls From Carport
Family members called Triple Zero shortly after 4:45pm on Sunday, 12 July, reporting that the woman was trapped beneath a Toyota Prado on the property.
The precise circumstances remained unclear. It appeared that the woman had been standing beside the driver’s side of the stationary vehicle with the door open when it began rolling backwards.
The four-wheel drive moved through the rear of the carport and travelled down an embankment before coming to rest against a tree.
Fire and Rescue NSW personnel from Forestville Station were the first emergency crew to arrive. Family members directed them to the woman, who was conscious but in significant pain beneath the front driver’s-side wheel.
A specialist rescue crew from Crows Nest Fire Station was called to assist with equipment needed to secure and raise the vehicle.
Specialist Teams Join Forestville Rescue
Five NSW Ambulance crews attended, including intensive care paramedics, a Special Operations paramedic and an ambulance inspector.
NSW Ambulance also tasked the Mounties Care CareFlight helicopter. It landed shortly before 5:15pm at Forestville War Memorial Playing Fields in Melwood Avenue, where police had secured a landing area.
NSW Police then transported CareFlight’s specialist medical team to the Arthur Street property.
Although the four-wheel drive had stopped against a tree, it remained in an unstable position. Firefighters secured it before beginning the extraction to prevent further movement.
Paramedics assessed the woman while she remained trapped and provided pain relief. They were concerned about the pressure on her pelvis and legs and the risk associated with prolonged compression.
Firefighters used specialist hydraulic equipment to raise the vehicle. Movement in the front suspension initially allowed the wheel to continue pressing on the woman, so crews released air from the tyre and lifted the four-wheel drive further.
She was freed shortly before 6:15pm after being trapped for more than an hour.
Treatment Continues After Release
The woman was moved to a waiting intensive care ambulance and assessed for possible complications from the prolonged compression.
She was treated for injuries to her legs and pelvis before being taken by road to Royal North Shore Hospital at St Leonards. CareFlight’s specialist doctor accompanied her, and she remained in a stable condition.
Firefighters packed away their rescue equipment and left the four-wheel drive secured on the property. The family was responsible for arranging its recovery, which was considered likely to require a crane.
Published 13-July-2026
