The 71-year-old man was trapped for almost two hours after his Suzuki Grand Vitara careered off Uralla Rd and hit a tree yesterday morning.

Ambulance paramedics, rescue crews and police rushed to the crash just after 10am and tried desperately to free the man.

The impact of the crash meant the car was barely recognisable, with parts of the vehicle strewn along the side of the road.

After a delicate rescue operation the man was cut from the crumpled wreckage, with the Westpac Rescue Helicopter tasked to airlift him to hospital.

The man suffered a head wound and chest and abdominal injuries and was flown in a serious condition to Tamworth hospital for emergency treatment.

Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing.

Meanwhile, a couple aged in their 70s have been taken to hospital after their motorbike and side car hit a pole near Armidale.

About 11am, the couple’s bike left Uralla Rd, near the intersection of the New England Highway, and hit the pole. The pair were thrown from the motorbike before it came to rest on its side.

Ambulance paramedics treated the man, who also lost consciousness, for a back injury, while the woman suffered a small cut to her mouth.

The couple were taken to Armidale hospital in a stable condition.