New mother fighting for life, husband in custody after car ploughs into Healesville dam

A new mother is in a critical condition while her husband is in custody after their car plunged into a dam in Healesville, Victoria. 

Police believe Phil Budding, 32, was driving the vehicle down a steep dirt driveway of his home on Margaret Road about 10.20am, before it veered off the road and into a small dam.

Mr Budding pulled his passenger, wife Kerry, 36, from the car after he freed himself.

She was airlifted to Royal Melbourne Hospital and remains in a critical condition.

Mr Budding is currently in custody helping police with their inquiries.

“This investigation won't be solved in the next few days, it's going to take some work to look at the evidence and establish exactly what's happened,” Detective Sergeant Steve Hill said.

Search and rescue experts were called in to extract the car from soft mud beneath the water.

Mrs Budding, originally from South Africa, had recently given birth to her first child, a boy named Jack.

It’s understood the couple were married at their Healesville property earlier this year.