Four men in their 30s have been taken to hospital after a nasty single vehicle accident at Buchanan on Monday morning.
Emergency services rushed to the scene on Buchanan Road near John Renshaw Drive around 7.30am.
They found a male passenger trapped inside a crashed van, and two others who had been ejected from the vehicle and thrown into a nearby paddock.
Miraculously those two came away with only minor injuries, while a third sustained injuries to his mouth.
The trapped man suffered abdominal injuries and a fractured femur.
NSW Ambulance Paramedics, NSW RFS Firefighters and members of the Cessnock Volunteer Rescue Squad had to use the jaws of life to cut away the passenger side door and one of the pillars to free him.
The man was placed onto a spinal board and carried up an embankment to a waiting ambulance.
NSW Ambulance Inspector Paula Stitt said it was a challenging scene for paramedics, who couldn’t believe the injuries hadn’t been more serious.
“These patients are incredibly lucky,” Inspector Stitt said.
“Their van was also full of painting equipment which had the potential to injure during the crash.It is a reminder for people to drive safely and remain vigilant on our roads.”
All four men were taken to the John Hunter Hospital by ambulance for further treatment in stable conditions.