Gumleaf
July 22nd, 2008, 09:17 PM
09:01 AEST Wed Jul 23 2008
An 18-year-old man who stripped down to his underwear and played "chicken" with cars on a major Melbourne freeway is in a critical condition in hospital after he was hit.
The South Morang man was struck by a Toyota Hilux on the Tullamarine Freeway in Flemington just before 1.30am (AEST) on Wednesday.
He had been playing "chicken" on the freeway on ramp as a dare, police said.
The driver of the vehicle, a 31-year-old man from Hillside, was taken to hospital and treated for shock.
His passenger, a 61-year-old woman, escaped injury.
The Hilux was a write-off as a result of the collision.
Metropolitan Ambulance Service city team manager Shaun Columbine said the 18-year-old was unconscious when paramedics arrived at the scene.
Paramedics sedated the victim and immobilised his spine, before rushing him to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
He also had a serious head injury and a broken arm, Mr Columbine said.
"The driver of the car is extremely distressed," he said.
"It was totally unexpected. He was on his way home from work in the middle of the night and the young man's run out on a dare in front of his car.
"He (the driver) was in a quite emotional distressed state and was lucky not to sustain injuries himself."
Police say they are dismayed at the 18-year-old's "utter stupidity" and say it was lucky nobody was killed.
An 18-year-old man who stripped down to his underwear and played "chicken" with cars on a major Melbourne freeway is in a critical condition in hospital after he was hit.
The South Morang man was struck by a Toyota Hilux on the Tullamarine Freeway in Flemington just before 1.30am (AEST) on Wednesday.
He had been playing "chicken" on the freeway on ramp as a dare, police said.
The driver of the vehicle, a 31-year-old man from Hillside, was taken to hospital and treated for shock.
His passenger, a 61-year-old woman, escaped injury.
The Hilux was a write-off as a result of the collision.
Metropolitan Ambulance Service city team manager Shaun Columbine said the 18-year-old was unconscious when paramedics arrived at the scene.
Paramedics sedated the victim and immobilised his spine, before rushing him to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
He also had a serious head injury and a broken arm, Mr Columbine said.
"The driver of the car is extremely distressed," he said.
"It was totally unexpected. He was on his way home from work in the middle of the night and the young man's run out on a dare in front of his car.
"He (the driver) was in a quite emotional distressed state and was lucky not to sustain injuries himself."
Police say they are dismayed at the 18-year-old's "utter stupidity" and say it was lucky nobody was killed.