The stunt crash in Adelaide ends in disaster when the car crashes into a nearby fence

A stunt involving two vehicles crashing into each other as part of a road safety advert ended in disaster when one of the vehicles unexpectedly plowed through the gate of a property.

The staged crash was filmed on Port Road in Alberton, about 10km northwest of Adelaide, about 2pm on Friday, as South Australian Police Minister Joe Szakacs looked on.

The ad was filmed as part of a seat belt awareness campaign, but the shooting took an ugly turn when the two vehicles collided at an intersection.

Dramatic footage from the scene showed the hatchback being hit sideways by the white sedan, as was planned, before the momentum sent it flying to the other side of the road and through the gate of a furniture store.

Shocked onlookers watched as the hatchback narrowly avoided parked cars.

The vehicle was left in a crumpled mess with the front bumper beam almost completely detached.

Mr Szakacs said he was unsure whether the incident was intended to be part of the advertisement.

'The first question I asked: 'did this have to happen?' They said 'no,'” he told reporters on Friday.

The hatchback (photo) unexpectedly plowed into the fence of a nearby property

The safety advisor on set, Clay Dunn, admitted that he did not know why the car had suddenly left the road.

“We didn't expect it to fly away, so I'm not sure why it took off like that,” he said.

Retailer Sarah, who runs the store whose fence was destroyed, said she feared things could have been worse.

“It really could have been disastrous,” she said.

'There could have been a car parked there, there could have been people there. You don't know what could have happened. The fence stopped him, but he could have driven into the store.'

The road was believed to have been closed prior to filming and residents were given leaflets telling them to stay away from the set while the advert was filmed.

A South Australian Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the incident was under investigation.

“All safety measures have been taken and even in a controlled environment accidents can happen,” the spokesperson said.

The owner of the fence will receive compensation for the damage to the structure.

The seat belt safety education campaign will be launched across South Australia via television, radio and billboards.

Last year, 10 percent of road fatalities in South Australia were due to drivers not fastening their seat belts.