A DRIVER was engulfed in flames and hurried to hospital with facial burns after a two-car collision in Sunshine this morning.
The crash, which happened at 9.30am on the corner of Foundry and Harvester roads, forced the evacuation of hundreds of workers from a nearby VicRoads office and threw the morning’s traffic into chaos.
Fire crews quickly arrived at the scene to battle the blaze as wind blew thick black smoke towards Braybrook.
Paramedics rushed one of the drivers, a man aged in his 40s, to The Alfred hospital with burns to his face and hands.
Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman Susannah Wilson said the man was in a stable condition. Witnesses said the two cars had been turning east onto Foundry Road when they collided.
The second car erupted into flames when it struck the rear of the car in front.
Landscaping contractor Mark Zivkovic, who was cutting grass on the naturestrip next to the crash, said flames engulfed the car in an instant.
‘‘One car bumped the back of the other and there was a huge explosion straight away— almost immediately.
‘‘There was a big bang, then the fire started and one of the men leapt out.’’