THE woman passenger in this car had a lucky escape after it was involved in a three-car smash near York.

The driver of this VW Golf was in collision with the back of a Ford Transit pick-up truck while it was turning into the Vale of York Caravan Park, on the Strensall to Sheriff Hutton Road at 3pm on Saturday.

The pick-up spun round and the Volkswagen careered into the path of a Ford Focus, driven by a local woman, who had a young girl in the car.

Six fire crews from York, Tadcaster and Huntington attended the accident, and the occupants of the Volkswagen, both from York, had to be cut free before being taken by ambulance to York Hospital, where the woman was treated for neck and chest pains.

Neither the woman driving the Focus, or the girl passenger with her were injured in the incident.

Keith and Alison Morrison, of Newton Way, Strensall, witnessed the accident. Mrs Morrison said: "It was really scary. I was literally shaking after the event - a couple of seconds later and it could have been us that happened to."

The pick-up driver, from Huntington, was later charged with drink-driving and driving without insurance, and was bailed to appear at York magistrates court.

Updated: 10:11 Monday, July 04, 2005