Maryborough Police Sergeant Craig Pearse yesterday said they would nominate the man, who they didn’t wish to name yet, for bravery awards.

“It was an amazing feat of courage to stop and drag this severely injured man from his truck when it was about to burst into flames,” Sergeant Pearse said.

The accident happened about 6.20pm on Saturday when a semi-trailer ran off the Bendigo-Maryborough Rd at Havelock, about 10 kilometres north of Maryborough.

The truck, which had been heading towards Bendigo, ploughed through some trees before it burst into flames.

The Maryborough motorist driving past stopped and pulled the Bendigo-based driver, aged 38, from the truck’s cabin.

Ambulance Victoria spokesman John Mullen said the driver suffered a serious compound fracture to his leg, 18 per cent partial thickness burns to his face, arms and throat and a hip injury. He was airlifted to The Alfred hospital where he was yesterday listed as in a serious but stable condition.