THE driver and three passengers of a car had a lucky escape when the vehicle crashed into a ditch near York.

The occupants were cut from the wreckage by emergency services yesterday after the car ended up in ditch at the side of the B1316, between Stillington and Brandsby, at 11.20am.

A 44-year-old man from York suffered a broken arm and was taken to York Hospital by air ambulance, while three other males were freed from the wreckage of the silver Nissan GTR with minor injuries.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service said: “The car had gone into a tree and the occupants said they couldn’t get out of the vehicle.

“Crews from Acomb and Easingwold used two sets of hydraulic equipment to effect the release of the people.”