Planking' or not, man left fighting for his life

Simon Hallam, a plasterer from Inverell in northern NSW, was skylarking with friends on Monday night when he fell heavily from a fast-moving car.

Police said witnesses told them Mr Hallam was attempting to "plank" on the boot of a sedan moments before he fell.

He is now in an induced coma in an intensive care unit.

Inverell police said Mr Hallam was on the boot of a car in Henderson Lane, shortly before 9pm, when the accident happened.

"We have spoken today with witnesses who have reported the young man was in fact 'planking', or similar too it,'' a police spokesman said yesterday.

Doctors at Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital have told the family they do not know if Simon will ever recover from the accident.

Witnesses said Mr Hallam, a plasterer, had been planking on the boot of the Holden Commodore at the time of his injury. But a police spokeswoman said the man had been standing on the boot of the car when he fell.

A 19-year-old man, also from Inverell, has been charged with dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm, negligent driving (occasioning grievous bodily harm) and negligent driving. He has been granted conditional bail and is due to appear in Inverell Local Court on June 16.

The accident follows the weekend death of Acton Beale, 20, from Brisbane, who fell from a seventh-storey balcony railing, on which he intended to ''plank''.

Yesterday the Ambulance Ser-vice of NSW issued a statement warning people not to put themselves in danger when planking, an internet craze that involves being photographed while lying face-down in unusual locations. ''Whilst it may seem like some harmless fun, the idea of 'planking' and outdoing your mates can be fraught with danger,'' it said.

''It is recommended to avoid planking and other silly stunts whilst intoxicated and/or drug affected, especially in places that could see you seriously injured or killed, such as attempting such stunts from a tall building/object, roadway, railway line or other hazardous areas.''

The accident follows the death of 20-year-old Brisbane man Acton Beale, who plunging seven storeys while attempting to plank on a balcony railing at a unit block on Sunday. (Read more: Man dies in Brisbane stunt)

Earlier this week, police warned more young people could die or be seriously hurt if they continued to take part in the craze.

A number of high-profile stars have been accused of fuelling the planking movement, including Footy Show host Sam Newman, who appeared on Nine News last night lying face down on the balcony rail of his high rise apartment.