A Queensland driver has been fined after being involved in a stunning crash that saw a car become airborne and then stuck in the side of a bus.

The drama unfolded at Rocklea in Brisbane’s south on Wednesday evening. A blue Toyota Yaris hit a traffic island and was catapulted into the air before smashing into the side of the council bus. The back of the car was left protruding from the bus.

Police allege the driver of another car, a black SsangYong, had earlier attempted to merge from a centre lane and turn off near the intersection of Beaudesert and Granard roads.

The driver of the Yaris, travelling in the outer lane, swerved around the SsangYong before losing control and ending up in the middle of the bus, Queensland police said.

The driver of the Yaris, a 45-year-old Pallara woman, was taken to hospital in shock. The bus driver, a 66-year-old Sunnybank Hills man, did not sustain any serious injuries.

The driver of the SsangYong, a 66-year-old Durack man, was subsequently fined $690 and given three demerit points for driving without due care and attention.

Brisbane City council said there were no passengers on the bus at the time, the ABC reported.

A person who filmed the aftermarth of the crash from a passing car struggled to process what they were seeing. “There’s literally a car in the bus,” they said. “A car in the bus. Guys, a car in the bus.”

The scene in Brisbane was reminiscent of a police car becoming wedged in the back of a truck in the classic 1980 film The Blues Brothers.