A MOTHER and daughter miraculously escaped with just cuts and bruises after a lorry carrying thousands of chickens overturned and crushed their car at York’s Hopgrove roundabout.

The pair are understood to have lain flat as their Peugeot 107 was flattened to dashboard level, and they were then helped out by the emergency services through the remaining gap.

Police were astounded by their survival in the accident, which happened at 11.40am on Monday and blocked the A64 westbound, causing ‘chaos’ on the anti-clockwise York outer ring road and severe congestion on the A64 and in parts of York.

Traffic Sergeant Andy Quigley said it was one of the most amazing escapes from a crash he had seen in 16 years as a traffic officer.

“They are very lucky indeed,” he said. “When we got the call that a lorry had overturned on a car, we fully anticipated we would be dealing with a fatal accident.

“The mother and daughter, who are from the York area, were taken to hospital to be treated for cuts, bruises and shock, as was the driver of the lorry.”

He said he understood that the daughter was driving, with her mother in the passenger seat, when the accident happened as they were going round the roundabout to get on to the westbound A64.

The car was on the inside lane when the lorry toppled sideways on to it.

The daughter saw it turning over and lay across to her mother. The lorry crushed the car to about two and a half feet above the ground, leaving the pair in a small space left on the seats.

He said the cause of the accident was under investigation.

Traffic intending to head to York and Leeds was diverted from the A64 on to the anti-clockwise outer ring road, but many vehicles instead went through York along Heworth Green and Foss Bank, where queues developed.

Traffic queued on the A64 back to Sand Hutton.

Efforts to clear the scene of wreckage were hampered because the lorry was carrying thousands of chickens, some of which lay dead and dying on the road and verge, and in cages still on the vehicle.

RSPCA officers were called to assist in dealing with the birds.

TS Quigley said that while the lorry was righted by before 4pm, the road could not be re-opened straight away, because the carriageway had been damaged and needed some repairs.

*Were you involved in the crash – or do you know who was involved? Call 01904 567131 or email newsdesk@thepress.co.uk