Amazing escape for mother and daughter after lorry carrying 3,000 chickens flips over and crushes their car (but the hens weren’t so lucky)

It seems extraordinary that anyone could have survived, but a mother and daughter escaped with just cuts and bruises after their car was crushed to half its size by a lorry carrying 3,000 chickens.

These incredible pictures show the red Peugeot 107 almost completely flattened and police on the scene were astounded that no one was killed.

The daughter, who was driving, thankfully saw the lorry as it was about to topple over and quickly covered her mum to protect her.

Amazing escape: The car was left almost completely crushed by the chicken lorry, and yet the driver and passenger survived with only cuts and bruises

The pair laid flat in a tiny space inside the small hatchback as they waited to be rescued after the incident, which happened near a roundabout on the busy A64 road in York, around 11.40am yesterday.

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.

 

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‘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 were taken to hospital to be treated for cuts, bruises and shock, as was the driver of the lorry.’ 

Wreck: The car was crushed to about two and a half feet above the ground

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 on the seats.

He said the cause of the accident was under investigation, although there is no suggestion of foul play.

The mum, daughter and lorry driver were taken to nearby York District Hospital to be checked over.

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.

Lucky: The lorry driver also escaped unharmed, but received treatment for shock