A terrified motorist watched a 43-tonne boulder crush his USD 50,000 SUV in a landslide moments after he got out to admire the mountain scenery.

Shocking footage of the aftermath shows the apparently brand new VW Teramont completely flattened by the huge rock in southwest China.

The impact had knocked the SUV onto its side with its roof and engine bay totally demolished.

The massive boulder – later shifted by a bulldozer – can be seen sitting next to the vehicle.

Earlier footage shot from a distance shows the rock bouncing down the mountainside in Batang County, in Sichuan Province, before landing on the VW.

Moments earlier the driver – caught in a roadworks traffic jam – had stepped out to film the impressive mountain skyline, a favourite beauty spot in the region.

Local authorities later said that the long queue of vehicles was caused by repairs to the road ahead.

Amazingly nobody was injured by the smash.

Afterwards, the damaged vehicle was towed away which cleared the jam.

The footage later made its way onto Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, where many netizens pointed out the SUV owners’ luck.

Douyin user ‘April’ said in a comment: “I was stuck there for three hours four days ago. At that time, I was worried thinking what I’ll do if the rock falls.”

And user ‘Xiao Wuge riding a motorcycle to climb the mountain’ wrote: “Fortunately, everyone in that car got out of the car to take pictures.”