A woman is lucky to be alive after the car she was in crashed 10m down a bank in Te Puke this morning.

Emergency services were called to the crash scene on Brown Road, near Rangiuru Road, just before 8am.

A police spokesperson says there were initial concerns the driver might have been trapped in the vehicle, but she managed to free herself.

Police say the woman suffered moderate injuries and was taken to Tauranga Hospital for treatment.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.