SafeWork investigates Darby Street incident that hospitalised woman

File image by Simon McCarthy.

A woman believed to be aged in her 70s suffered serious head injuries when she was pinned by a car in a workplace crash on Wednesday afternoon.

Paramedics and emergency services were called to the scene at a mechanic shop on Darby Street about 2.15pm.

They found the woman had been struck by a car and trapped after it came towards her and pinned her against a wall.

Paramedics assessed the woman for head injuries at the scene before she was taken to John Hunter Hospital.

An ambulance spokeswoman said her condition was serious but stable.

Police will investigate whether a brake failure caused the car to careen forward and hit the woman.

Emergency services closed the road for an extended time as firefighters remained on the scene into the evening with the garage cordoned off.

It is understood the vehicle was being mechanically assessed when the incident occurred.

A spokeswoman for NSW Police said the matter had been referred to Safe Work NSW.

The regulator was notified of a workplace incident on Wednesday afternoon, a spokesman said, but declined to comment on specific details.

"Inspectors have commenced inquiries," they said.

A witness who passed the scene described a white car that appeared to have collided with force against a wall near the entrance to the garage.

Firefighters on the scene assessed some structural damage to the building before the scene was handed to local officials.

The garage remained cordoned off into the night on Wednesday, May 13, after the nearby intersection reopened.