Emergency crews were called to the Talbot Street and Darling Street intersection just before 4pm.

A ute, with a green P plate attached, was upside down in a gutter, while the front of a sedan was completely destroyed.

An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson confirmed one man was taken to Ballarat Base Hospital in a stable condition.

Firefighters at the scene said the 'Jaws of Life' were not required.

The intersection has a give-way sign on Darling Street, which was knocked over in the crash.

Residents nearby said they heard an "awful noise".

One, who asked not to be named, said it had been the second incident on the corner in six months, following another two-car collision that resulted in a car crashing into a fence.

"I've always thought it would escalate and someone will get killed," they said, noting the quiet street is often used by heavy trucks trying to avoid Latrobe Street, and hoons late into the night.

Another resident, who has lived in the street for decades, said it was not unusual to hear drivers speed past at all hours.

A third resident said they had seen four accidents in the past five years.

"It's disgusting," they said. "It gets to the point where I'm scared to cross the road."

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