Lucky Escape: Elderly man injured when car rolls down embankment and flips near Balmoral Oval.

By ANNA USHER

A Mosman man is in hospital with injuries sustained when his vehicle rolled down a steep embankment and flipped on its side at Balmoral this morning.

The elderly man, aged in his 80s, was trapped in his car for almost an hour, with Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews pulling off a delicate mission to free him from the late model white sedan.

It’s understood the vehicle mounted a footpath, crashed through a fence and rolled down a steep decline, before ending up on its side, near Balmoral Oval, on Coronation Avenue, just after 7am.

Dozens of firefighters, including specialist rescue personnel, worked for more than an hour to stabilise the car and free the man.

They used straps, cables, winches and hydraulic tools to prevent the car from further rolling down the embankment.

FRNSW crews then removed the hatch to reach and free the occupant, who had sustained superficial cuts and abrasions.

He was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being transported to Royal North Shore Hospital in a stable condition.

Efforts are now underway to retrieve the car, with a crane likely to be called in to complete the job.