The driver of a 2012 Toyota RAV4 that flipped over in a three-car crash Thursday night is lucky to have escaped without serious injury.

The 46-year-old woman behind the wheel of the SUV stopped at the stop sign at the intersection of Henderson and Lansdowne roads. She continued driving and entered the intersection, but drove directly into the path of a westbound Toyota Camry.

That collision caused the RAV4 to flip onto its side and slide into a third vehicle, a Nissan that was stopped at the adjacent stop sign.

The driver of the SUV was trapped in the overturned vehicle for 30 minutes before emergency crews were able to free her.

Two people were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

"In talking to the investigators, it is very fortunate that the injuries weren't far worse than what they were," said Oak Bay's deputy police chief, Kent Thom. "I'm told the bumper of the third vehicle that was hit pierced the moon roof of the SUV, and the bumper came extremely close to the driver of the SUV. Just a matter of inches, and it could've been a far worse circumstance."

Traffic analysts from the Saanich police department were called in to investigate the crash.

Police issued the driver of the RAV4 a ticket for failing to proceed in safety after stopping for a stop sign.

"This is another good reason why people should be diligent in putting on their seat belts. That probably saved the driver of the SUV from suffering a lot worse injuries," Thom said.

Saanich police Sgt. Mike Barkley says analysts are continuing with follow-up in their investigation to submit a complete crash report to Oak Bay.

kslavin@saanichnews.com