The motorist was left inside the upside down car for up to an hour after being declared dead at the scene (Pic: 9 News)An investigation has been launched after a car crash victim declared dead by paramedics in Australia was found to be alive an hour later.
The motorist was found trapped upside down in the wreckage of a Porsche and was pronounced dead by an ambulance crew at the scene.
The 30-year-old man from Melbourne was reportedly left in the car for up to an hour as police began their investigation.
It was only when State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers were preparing to cut the driver free from the mangled sports car that they became concerned the man was still alive.
They found he had a weak pulse and appeared to be twitching but were assured by paramedics that movement by a corpse is not unusual.
SES spokesman Lachlan Quick said: "They mentioned it to the ambulance guys, who said that it [movement] can be attributed to this sort of effect when there's a spinal injury.
"It was raised and addressed and discussed and then put to one side, and they went about their business."
Tow-truck driver Trevor Oliver told the Australian Associated Press: "The SES got the driver out of the car, wrapped him in a tarp and sat him on the side of the road, and for about 40 minutes we sat there watching his feet move.
"It was only when the coroner's representative turned up to pick up the body, and the SES and the coroner's representative went to pick up the body and they noticed that something was odd and (discovered) he still had a very weak pulse." Read More
