Kangaroo fells man in ironically-named suburb of Kangaroo Flat

An Australian man has been injured after a car hit a kangaroo and flipped the native animal on top of him, ironically in a suburb called Kangaroo Flat.

While jogging on the side of the road in the Victorian suburb of Kangaroo Flay near Bendigo on Wednesday morning, the man was struck by the kangaroo which had strayed on to the road and been hit by a passing car.

The jogger, in his 20s, was left with minor injuries to both legs. The driver was left unharmed, while the status of the kangaroo has not been confirmed.

However, media reports have suggested the animal was probably killed from the impact since wildlife authorities were not informed of the incident.

Ambulance Victoria and Victoria Police were called to the scene at around 6:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, a statement said.

In recent years, the number of motorists hitting kangaroos in Australia has skyrocketed.

The latest statistics taken from Wildlife Victoria, show the group's veterinary response unit were called out 4,195 kangaroo-related incidents on state roads last year. That figure has doubled since 2012.

Overall, the charity received 6,500 emergency calls specifically about kangaroos in 2015.

There is a popular belief among conservationists that the growing urban sprawl, with people spreading further into bushland outside of Melbourne and regional cities, has caused more kangaroos to venture on to Victorian roads.

"It is certainly not a reflection of kangaroo populations, they have been coming into contact with motorists more because of habitat destruction," Wildlife Victoria spokeswoman Amy Hidge told Fairfax Media in March.

Kangaroo-related incidents also account for around 80 percent of car insurance claims made to the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria that arise from an animal collision.

In March, nine cyclists were knocked from their bikes when they slammed into a kangaroo carcass left on the side of the road, sending them hurtling toward oncoming cars.

Four of members of that group were taken to hospital, one was reportedly in critical condition. Endit