A woman is lucky to have escaped being seriously injured or killed after a car smashed into a petrol station on 16 January. Surveillance camera footage shows the car ploughing through the front glass wall of the petrol station shop in the Sydney south-west suburb of Belfield, where Catherine Crawford can be seen walking towards the counter. Moments later she was thrown to the ground by the impact of the crash.

Back at the petrol station on 18 January, Crawford was greeted by co-owner George Diab, whose wife was behind the counter at the time of the crash. "I thank the God many times that she's still okay, that she walked out safe," said Diab of Crawford's narrow escape.

Local media reported that the crash caused a major gas leak that lasted several hours. Outside the petrol station CCTV showed the occupants of the car being helped by bystanders. According to local media, it is not known what caused the crash. Three occupants of the car were treated by paramedics and taken to hospital. A fourth man, believed to be the driver, was missing.

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