A HOMEOWNER on the Glenelg Highway east of Hamilton on Wednesday morning woke up at about 7am to find a surprising new ‘ornament’ in their front garden with a smashed-up ute on its roof wedged up against a tree.

Hamilton police received information of the incident and attended, with no occupants in the vehicle and none found nearby either.

Highway Patrol senior constable, Dean McLaren, said the vehicle appeared to have been travelling on the highway in an eastward direction and left the road at the bend - likely becoming airborne given the drop down to the ground.

Tyre marks showed the path taken as the vehicle narrowly missed a power pole and the home’s mailbox as it apparently got airborne a second time over the driveway ridge, crashing through a newly fixed fence, flipping and landing behind enough plants to make the ute hard to see from the road.

The damage to the vehicle was substantial, including the steering and drive shaft wrecked and dog cages bent and thrown aside.

Later in the morning, a man in his 30s claiming to be the driver reported the incident to police and it appeared he escaped with no major injuries, along with his two dogs; the investigation is still underway.

Sen Const McLaren said the recent spate of driving accidents in the region was “a timely reminder to people to drive to conditions and abilities and make sure that their vehicles are right for the road”.