Lucky escape for driver after car skids on Burway black ice
Drivers are urged not to risk driving along South Shropshire's Burway and other hilltop routes during freezing weather, after a car skidded on ice and almost fell over a steep drop.
Police and Shropshire Fire and Rescue were called to The Burway, which has since been closed, at about 12.50pm this afternoon, after a Land Rover Defender 4x4 spun on black ice while travelling down the hill.
While the driver's wife and dogs managed to get out of the car, he was trapped inside with his foot jammed against the brake until officers arrived, after his wife called for help.
Conditions were so treacherous that police and fire could only get so far in their own vehicles before having to take the remaining couple of miles on foot.
Police Constable Barry Morgan was one of the first officers to arrive and he talked the driver through stabilising the vehicle using the handbrake and first gear in low ratio. They then managed to carefully help him from the vehicle.
"He was very lucky as one of the wheels was barely four inches from the edge of the steep hillside and the car had initially continued to slide on the ice, despite him using the brakes," he said.
The Burway and surrounding hilltop routes across the Long Mynd from Asterton, Ratlinghope and Church Stretton have now been closed by Shropshire Council's Highways Department.
However, Inspector Ed Hancox, from West Mercia Police, urged drivers not to take any risks even if such routes were open.
"The Burway is a treacherous road in poor weather and is especially dangerous in frost, ice or snow, as it is not gritted," he said.
"Runoff from the surrounding fields gathers on the road and re-freezes into sheet and black ice. There were ice warning signs out and we urge people not to risk it in freezing temperatures and use another route."
Neither the man or woman were injured and will arrange recovery of their car once it is safe to do so.
