An elderly woman had a miraculous escape when her Ford Fiesta was crushed between two heavy lorries in an accident near York today.

The woman, believed to be 65, and who has not yet been named, was trapped in the wreckage of her car and was conscious during a 30-minute ordeal as firefighters worked to free her.

Paramedics took her to York District Hospital where she was said to be suffering from lower back injuries.

PC Jim Wilson, of York traffic police, speaking at the scene of the accident, described the woman's escape as "miraculous".

He said: "Her car was concertinaed. Her injuries are not too serious. It is miraculous considering the extent of the damage and the number and type of vehicles involved.

"She's been very lucky."

Another driver was taken to York District Hospital with back injuries, but his condition was not known.

PC Wilson said the accident appeared to have happened when the Fiesta struck a 32-tonne lorry waiting in a line of traffic on the A1079 road to York, at Dunnington, at the turning to Boretree Balk.

The Fiesta was then struck by another lorry which, in turn, was hit by a Ford Iveco small goods vehicle with a trailer, he said.

Police set up a diversion around the scene, directing traffic through nearby roads - which led to long tailbacks on all approaches to the Grimston Bar roundabout for two hours.

Accident and vehicle investigators attended the scene and police have appealed for witnesses to contact them.

All the vehicles suffered substantial damage, said PC Wilson, and the Fiesta was a write-off. He said police were hoping to re-open the road - the main artery between York and Hull - later today.

He said the accident caused considerable congestion because of its location and the fact it happened during the early-morning rush hour.

Traffic-calming measures, including white lines and coloured road surfacing, were put down on the A1079 between Dunnington and Kexby as part of a series of improvements on the notorious trunk road at the end of last year.

The Highways Agency has completed a series of improvements to the A1079 over the last two years after numerous accidents.

Early this year a grandmother and her grandson were killed while trying to cross the road at Barmby Moor and campaigners have called for similar measures there to those introduced at Dunnington and Kexby.

Coun Norman Blackstock, vice- chairman of Dunnington Parish Council, said: "A series of measures have been taken to make the road safer, but it is still very busy and I'm not at all sure how you would improve it further.

"But anything more that can be done, should be done.

"Maybe it is time for another survey to be done to see how busy it has really become."

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