Australians in freak wombat crash

By Phil Mercer
BBC News, Sydney

Wombats can weigh up to 35kg

Two men in south-eastern Australia have survived unharmed after their truck hit a wombat before crashing off the side of a bridge.

Police have said the airborne vehicle then landed in the top of a tree above a river.

They were driving near the coastal town of Mallacoota in Victoria when their truck hit the marsupial.

Australian police said that what happened next was like a scene from a Hollywood movie.

The vehicle careered violently out of control, smashed through a guard railing and over the side of a bridge.

The men and their truck then landed in a tree.

After some precarious teetering, they crashed back to earth, falling about 20 feet (6 metres).

The vehicle is a write-off. The workmen escaped without a scratch. It is believed the wombat died instantly.