Five people have been injured after a bus crashed at Belmont North early this morning leaving two men trapped underneath it.
Emergency services were called to Wommara Avenue just before 3:45am, after a bus which was traveling south, hit a concrete barrier and flipped onto its side in a ditch.
Before emergency services arrived passers-by helped the passengers – seven were on board including the driver.
Two men were ejected from the bus and were trapped underneath it. They were treated by NSW Ambulance Paramedics with one, an 18-year-old, airlifted to the Royal North Shore Hospital suffering spinal injuries and the second was taken to the John Hunter Hospital.
Three other people were treated for minor cuts and abrasions, the other two passengers were uninjured and the 61-year-old male driver of the bus was taken to hospital for mandatory testing.
Lake Macquarie Police District officers established a crime scene and are working with the Crash Investigation Unit to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.
At 7am today police said Wommara Place remained closed with local traffic diversions in place. Motorists are advised to avoid the area.
Inquiries continue
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.