Driver lucky to be alive after hitting kangaroo
A driver is lucky to be live after a kangaroo smashed through her car windscreen north of Melbourne, leaving her in hospital with serious injuries.
Denise Gathercole's face took the full impact of the huge animal when it smashed through her windscreen.
"I had a bleed in the back of the eye, multiple fractures on the face, including the eye socket, the nose and the cheek bone," she told 7News.
Ms Gathercole's partner George was not injured and managed to call Triple 0.
Doug Holden was one of the first on the scene.
"It was a huge kangaroo, given the amount of damage it's done. It actually peeled the roof back on the car," he said.
Ms Gathercole was rushed to the Royal Melbourne Hospital from the road outside Kyneton where the accident happened.
She underwent facial surgery and has wires holding her jaw together.
Kangaroos have caused several accidents along the same stretch of road, and lives have been lost.
Ms Gathercolr is now calling for a cull of the animals to make the road safer, before someone is killed.
"I think numbers are extreme at the moment, a cull would help," she said.
It is up to local farmers to apply for permits to cull kangaroos if they damage crops or threaten safety.
"Even if the government gave the farmers a grant to put up higher fencing or starter guns to keep them at bay," said George.
"I'm feeling extremely lucky to be alive," Ms Gathercole said. "It's a blessing."
