A WOMAN aged 80 amazingly escaped injury when her car plunged 20ft down an embankment.

The drive, escaped unhurt when her car careered off Moss Bank Way, Bolton, and slid down the slope at the roadside.

The pensioner, from Turton Heights, lost control of her red Nissan Micra which left the road and hurtled through a 10ft gap between a tree and a lampost on the pavement and rolled down the embankment.

Traffic police today said that the driver was lucky to have escaped.

PC Phil Marsh, from Bolton Police, said: "She was fully conscious and was chatting to people as she was helped back up to the pavement."

Firefighters were called to the scene and helped to escort the pensioner from the vehicle.

She was taken to Royal Bolton Hospital for a check up but did not report any injuries to paramedics.

The driver has not yet been identified.

Traffic was held up along Moss Bank Way as the wrecked vehicle was winched back on to the pavement.