MADAWASKA – An Edmundston, New Brunswick, city employee received minor injuries Monday afternoon and walked away from a vehicle that rolled over several times.

Joseph Cormier, 43, superintendent of Edmundston’s water and sewer department, had a bruise on his head, but was otherwise all right, Madawaska police Officer David Beaulieu said Tuesday morning.

Cormier, according to Beaulieu, was wearing his seat belt at the time of the accident.

Cormier was driving a 2002 four-door sedan that was leased by the city of Edmundston. The car was demolished in the incident that occurred shortly before 2 p.m. Monday on Beaulieu Road in Madawaska.

Beaulieu said Cormier was northbound on Beaulieu Road when he lost control, went off the road and rolled the vehicle over two or three times.

Cormier told police he went over a severe frost heave that shifted the rear of the vehicle. The back end of the car went onto the soft shoulder of the road, and Cormier overcorrected and lost control.

Cormier was going around a curve at the time. The out-of-control vehicle crossed the road and went off the left-hand side. The vehicle rolled over a 6- to 8-foot-deep embankment.

Cormier was able to free himself from his restraints and exited the car through the smashed out window on the passenger’s side of the car.

Beaulieu said he expected a fatal incident when he arrived at the scene, but Cormier was standing alongside the road.

Beaulieu said the car clipped branches of a small pine tree and missed two pine trees that were about 12 inches in diameter.