Fire officials say a man is lucky to be alive after his car launched over a barricade and travelled dozens of metres down an embankment off a highway near Qualicum Beach Tuesday.

Emergency responders were called to the highway near the Little Qualicum River Bridge after reports of a crash emerged around 12:40 p.m.

Upon arrival, crews heard from a motorcyclist who pointed to the south side of the bridge, explaining that a car went over the barricade and down into a ravine.

“The barricade there has got tire marks on it. It actually launched him right over and I think his first impact was probably about 30 or 40 feet (nine to 12 metres) down the embankment before he started rolling,” said Qualicum Beach Fire Chief Darryl Kohse. “He came to rest about 200 feet (60 metres) down the hill.”

He said the vehicle rolled a number of times down a gradual slope before finally coming to a stop on its roof.

The man was trapped in the car for a period of time until first responders were able to free him and transport him back up the embankment to a waiting ambulance.

“Very lucky, very fortunate to be in the condition that he is,” said Kohse. “He was coherent, he knew what day it was, he could talk to us, he knew where his injuries were.”

The man was then taken to Qualicum Beach, where he was airlifted to a hospital with a broken shoulder and possible internal injuries.

Officials say he was wearing a seatbelt, and it likely played a big role in preventing more serious injuries.

The incident shut down southbound lanes of the highway while crews attended the scene.

It’s unclear what caused the crash.