TWO people were lucky to escape with their lives when their car became trapped beneath the blades of a combine harvester in a dramatic road accident.

The two were in a Renault Clio which was being driven around a bend on the B1222 between Cawood and Sherburn-in-Elmet when the accident happened.

A combine harvester, belonging to a local farmer, had pulled out into the road from Long Lane when the two vehicles collided and the Renault Clio became trapped beneath the wheels of the farm machine.

Firefighters from Selby and Tadcaster were called to the scene and arrived to find the male driver of the Clio trapped inside with his female passenger.

Sub Officer Colin Hunter, from Selby Fire Station said the harvester had crushed the front of the car, and the blades had smashed down on to the vehicle's roof.

He said: "The couple were very lucky to be alive."

The emergency crews had to use cutting equipment to remove the car's door on the passenger side in order to free the pair, who were from Huntington, York.

Both the driver and the passenger were then taken to York District Hospital with minor injuries.

Leading firefighter Peter Gregory, from Tadcaster fire station, said: "The male driver was able to walk away from the accident, which was quite surprising.

"It was quite a serious impact and could have been much, much worse."

The road was closed while the two vehicles were recovered after the crash which happened at 3.45pm yesterday.

In a separate accident at 8pm last night, a car left Leeds Road in Selby and crashed into a wall.

The White Vauxhall Cavalier left the road at the junction with Cedar Crescent at about 7.45pm.

There was one casualty, believed to be a female passenger, with a broken ankle. The driver received minor injuries.

Leeds Road was closed for more than three hours while the car was recovered.

Updated: 14:54 Monday, October 07, 2002