A tram that slammed into a bus shelter and a fire hydrant in Melbourne's inner-north after derailing in the early hours of the morning was being driven by a man who had nodded off, police say.
Shortly after midnight, police alleged the 49-year-old driver fell asleep while he was approaching the intersection of Ascot Vale Road and Maribyrnong Road.
Victoria Police Acting Sergeant Jason Doyle, from the Fawkner Highway Patrol, said fortunately there were no passengers on board.
"We always come to these collisions and wonder if someone's going to be hurt," he said.
"It could've hit a car, if there'd been someone walking across the tracks, it certainly could have bowled them over.
"It's very lucky."
The tram driver has been stood down pending the outcome of the investigation.
Police said they were expecting to charge the man with careless driving.
Jeroen Weimar from Public Transport Victoria said the incident was "unusual and unfortunate".
"We've already launched an investigation into this incident and we'll look closely to what caused that," he said.
"It's very unusual these things happen and I apologise to anybody caught up in the disruption on the route 82."
