Premier unhurt in Sunshine Coast car crash

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Premier unhurt in Sunshine Coast car crash
July 4, 2012 - 12:01PM
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An image posted on the premier's Facebook page show the damage to the premier's official car.
Update: Queensland Premier Campbell Newman says he kept chatting on the phone after a car ploughed into his vehicle on the Sunshine Coast.

Mr Newman was a passenger in a government vehicle when another car crashed into it this morning.

He said he was lucky to have escaped injury, and had to kick open the damaged passenger-side door to get out.

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He said the car was a write-off and was very thankful that he and members of his team weren’t hurt.

He said he’d also checked on the welfare of the woman driving the other car, and she appeared to have only minor injuries.

The premier said he couldn’t quite believe he’d been in a crash and continued on with his phone conversation after the impact.

‘‘I certainly feel lucky. I was actually on the phone at the time to my chief of staff and the director-general of premier's [department]. I kept talking throughout. I think I said: ’Look we’ve just been in a car accident,’’ he told reporters.

‘‘It was a real feeling of: ’Is this really happening?’’'

Police said it appeared the woman had gone through a give-way sign.

She has been taken to hospital with minor back and neck injuries, and officers are yet to formally interview her.

Mr Newman, who will undergo a medical check when he returns to Brisbane later on today, said the car had shot out of a side street.

‘‘I could see it all happening, but there was no way it was going to stop,’’ he said.

‘‘It shook us all up a lot. The door was completely jammed. I had to literally kick the door with both feet to get out.’’

Mr Newman, who was on his way to a local government summit, went ahead with his address.

Local Government Association of Queensland executive director Greg Hallam said that showed ‘‘what a tough nut’’ the premier was.

AAP



Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/quee...#ixzz1zckluOsW