The 27-year-old woman ended up under a truck after her car was shunted by a skip lorry behind her in Colchester in Essex and pushed beneath the large truck.
But despite her car being almost entirely flattened, the woman was rescued and is believed to have escaped without life threatening or serious injuries.
Her car was crushed to such an extent that other drivers at first did not realise the car was beneath the body of the articulated lorry, in between the tyres.
The crash took place with such force that a Toyota Hilux and Seat Ibiza in front of the truck were also damaged.
It happened on the Braintree-bound carriageway of the A120 opposite the Red Lion pub in Little Tey, Colchester on Tuesday evening.
Police closed the road in both directions between Marks Tey to Coggeshall for five-and-a-half hours.
A 51-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, causing a serious injury collision and on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol and drugs. He was being questioned at Colchester police station on Tuesday night.
Minutes before the accident three vehicles had crashed and moved into a bus stop, when the five car collision took place
Stuart Hunt, who was exchanging details after he had been involved in a minor crash 50 yards away ten minutes earlier, was one of the first at the scene.
He said, “we called the police but we did not know there was a car in the middle until we went and had a look.
“The car was destroyed, I thought the driver was a goner. The emergency services were brilliant, they were here in ten minutes.'
The crash happened near the Red Lion pub, and its landlord John Murray described hearing a 'monumental thud.'
He described the car beneath the HGV as 'obliterated.'
“It had taken the top off and you could barely see the car”, he said. “The lorries were touching”.
Sgt Damon Bainbridge, crash investigator, said: 'For whatever reason, maybe for a car turning further off the road further up, traffic had slowed or stopped but the skip lorry did not stop in time.'
He said it was surprising the victim of the crash, who was airlifted to Royal London Hospital, had not suffered life threatening or life changing injuries.
“It is extremely unlikely to get a survivor in a crash like this,' he added.
“If they did survive, we would expect them to have life threatening or life changing injuries.
“It goes to show what a difference the quality of vehicle construction can make and what else can I call it except luck.'
Source: itonline.tv/
