Victims tell of mud race horror

A teenage girl pinned under a 4WD car after it slammed into a crowd of spectators at a Gippsland mud race has told of her horrifying ordeal.

At least seven people, most of them children, were hurt in the terrifying crash during the Mud Run at Dalyston Recreation Reserve near Wonthaggi, in Victoria's south east.

The vehicles were racing around a mud track when one lost control, jumped a temporary guard rail and ploughed into the crowd sitting behind, just after 4pm.

Fifteen-year-old Meg Watson-Jinette was in the firing line and became pinned under the car.

Speaking from her hospital bed, Meg said she felt lucky to be alive.

"The 4WD had come around and I have gone to cover myself from the mud," she recalled. "The next thing I knew I was under this massive 4WD and my hand was caught in the wheel. I didn’t have any feeling in my legs.

"I was petrified. I had no idea what had happened. It was a split second and I was under it. I didn’t even think it was real...I thought I was dreaming.

"It didn’t seem possible that it had just happened. It could have been anyone, but it was me."

Meg said an unknown hero pulled her free and comforted her as she awaited medical attention.

"A lady grabbed my arm and said ‘this is going to hurt’. She pulled me out from underneath the car and she nursed me. I don’t even know who this lady was but she was amazing.

"I didn’t think I was going to get out from under that car. I thought I was going to pass out...It was frightening."

Meg was airlifted to the Royal Children’s Hospital with a suspected broken pelvis and head trauma, but somehow she managed to escape the ordeal with just a few bruises.

"I don’t even think I should be doing this interview right now," Meg said. "I’m so blessed to be alive. Someone was looking down on me that day."

Ten-year-old Madison Bourke was also trapped under the vehicle.

Her dad Alan scrambled to help others lift the race car to get her out.

Madison's twin sister, Taylor, was sent flying as the car ploughed into the crowd.

"At that stage I still hadn’t located my girls and I was freaking out fairly good myself," Alan said.

"It’s a rock bottom feeling when you can’t find your kids when something like that happens."

Paramedics were worried about little Maddison’s legs, but a check up at the Royal Children’s Hospital showed she had suffered bruising.

Alan said the driver, who has apologised to some of the victims, was shocked and traumatised.

"I’d really like to let the driver of the vehicle know that there’s no ill feelings – accidents happen."

Also in the path of the airborne ute was Lindy King, Dion Fox and their four children.

The couple's nine-year-old son Dylon was thrown into the air and suffered bumps to the head.

His nine-year-old cousin was stuck underneath the vehicle, but a heroic stranger pulled her free.

"She was kind of a bit floppy and It was quite stressful," Lindy explained. "My sister-in-law was screaming and I was like ‘no, she’s going to be OK."

Lindy's niece received a back injury, but is now doing really well.

A 40-year-old-man was also taken by road to the Alfred hospital and an eight-year-old boy with bruising to the knees was taken to Wonthaggi Hospital.

The Mud Racing Association wouldn't comment on camera today. The Dalyston Football Club, who holds the event, says it will investigate what went wrong.