Scientists are investigating whether an object which smashed and partially melted a man's car windscreen was a meteorite, in what could potentially be a world-first case of a collision with a moving vehicle.

Whyalla vet Andrew Melville-Smith was travelling along the Augusta Highway, 40 kilometres past Port Germein, when he heard a "loud" and "violent" bang.

"A truck went past — five to 10 seconds later there was an enormous explosion," Dr Melville-Smith said.

"Glass went flying inside the car, there was white smoke everywhere and we could smell burning. My wife thought the car was on fire.

"I thought we'd crashed, it was that loud, it was that violent, it was totally unexpected."

Dr Melville-Smith said he did not see the object strike the windscreen but was left bleeding and was cover

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