A DRIVER had a lucky escape after she had to be cut out of her when it flipped onto its side in Cheltenham town centre.
There was a dramatic rescue outside Cheltenham Magistrates' Court yesterday morning as firefighters worked for an hour to free the 54-year-old woman from her Mini Cooper.
She had become trapped inside it after apparently losing control of the vehicle as she drove along St George's Road towards the town just after 7am. She is believed to have veered into the opposite lane and clipped a parked Rover, causing her car to flip onto its side in the centre of the road.
Firefighters cut the roof from the car to rescue the woman, who was conscious throughout the ordeal, and she was then taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
The woman, from Cheltenham, escaped with injuries to her back and arm. A Gloucestershire police spokesman said: "This looked dramatic, but thankfully the injuries aren't serious.
"While this driver has escaped a collision without harm, it's a reminder of how vulnerable everyone can be on the road.
"Safe driving tips can be found at roadsafety-gloucestershire.org.uk. We would urge all road users to look at this website."
The spokesman said the woman was believed to have been driving at a low speed when she collided with the Rover.
Closed
Officers closed St George's Road from the Bayshill Road junction while the emergency services dealt with the accident.
Rob Craig, 41, was passing by as the emergency services worked to free the woman from her car.
He said: "They were working to get her out of the car when I got here at around quarter to eight. They cut off the roof.
"They got her out around eight and they were seeing to her and then they put a neck brace on her and then put her on the stretcher and took her to the ambulance.
"It was impressive to watch them in action – they worked really quickly. It was very dramatic to watch, like a TV show. It looked like a really nasty accident, I just hope she makes a full recovery."
The woman was taken to hospital at about 8.15am.
Her car was recovered at 8.50am, and the road reopened just after 9am.
