A man was in a coma Thursday after falling off a car reportedly while "planking" as three others were charged for taking part in the Internet craze on the roof of a moving vehicle.
Simon Hallam, 20, may never recover from horrific head injuries after falling heavily onto the road from a fast-moving car as he attempt to "plank", according to local reports, although other media said he was "car surfing".
The "planking" craze involves someone lying flat on their stomach with their arms against their bodies in unusual and sometimes dangerous situations, with photos of their exploits posted on social media sites.
The fad has gone viral in Australia over the last week, but claimed a life on Sunday when a man died in Brisbane after plummeting to his death while attempting to "plank" on a seventh-storey balcony.
Hallam's father, Terry, told the Brisbane Courier-Mail that what happened to his son was a strong warning to others thinking about joining the craze.
"The Internet and Facebook, they're just dreadful things ... they encourage this sort of behaviour among the young ones," he said.
"And young ones don't think about the consequences of their actions, they think it's fun, so they do it with little thought for what could happen - like this."
Separately, Queensland police charged three men in their 20s with public nuisance for "planking" on the roof of a moving car.
Toowoomba District Acting Inspector Jim Fenton said he was in disbelief.
"We would question their level of intelligence and due regard to self-preservation," he told reporters.
Another man lost his life recently in Australia due to this Internet craze