The 74-year-old woman lost control of her Toyota Yaris while travelling on the Wodonga-Yackandandah Road at Staghorn Flat about 5.15pm yesterday.

Emergency crews worked for about half an hour to get her out of the car, which had crashed into a tree.

Wangaratta highway patrol Senior Constable Patrick Murray said she was extremely lucky.

“I have never seen damage this extensive to car where the driver has survived it with no apparent external injuries,” he said.

“She was lucid and talking to emergency services.

“She was remarkably unscathed.”

Senior Constable Murray said the woman was travelling southbound when she appeared to have lost control of her car, narrowly avoiding oncoming traffic.

She veered off the road and hit a tree before rotating 270 degrees and landing in a dry creek bed.

The woman was taken to Albury hospital for scans and further observations.

Senior Constable Murray said police were keen to speak with the drivers or passengers of two oncoming cars that were forced to take evasive action to avoid the car.

Police are investigating the possibility that medical issues were a factor.

The crash was a sombre end to the long weekend, during which Wangaratta highway Sergeant Michael Connors said police had picked up a “disappointing” number of speeding drivers.

Wangaratta police also detected one drink-driver early yesterday in Myrtleford, and two drug-drivers who tested positive to methamphetamine.

“We’d really like to see more of a decrease (of offences),” he said.