Grandmother hits tree then run over by her own car

A grandmother is thanking her lucky stars after miraculously surviving a crash in which her car struck a tree ... and was then run over by her own vehicle. Jackie Long, aged 52, of St Wulstan’s Close, Evesham, was driving home from work along the B4035 road heading out of the Cotswold town of Chipping Campden last Thursday at 9.10pm, when she came across a fallen tree lying across the carriageway. Mrs Long did not see the obstruction until it was too late and her car smashed into the tree, causing the car to career into the air.

In her panic, Mrs Long released her seatbelt and as the door burst open, she fell out on to the road where the back wheel of her car ran over her leg, leaving her in terrible pain. “It was dark so I didn’t see the tree until it was too late – I could do nothing about it. My son and a few other of my work colleagues used that road earlier that night so it could have happened to any of us.



“I could smell burning and sparks were flying everywhere. I panicked because I thought the car would explode so I undid my seatbelt and as I did, the door popped open and I fell out. The car just carried on going over my leg and down the hill.” Nevertheless, the drama wasn’t over yet, as the car was now out of control and veering down the hill. Mrs Long said: “I just thought ‘oh my God’ that’s going to hit a car coming the other way. Then I just heard this almighty smash where it came to rest on a large kerb at the bottom of the hill.”

Mrs Long tried to stand up but the pain was too much, so she staggered down the hill for help and eventually saw a man in a cottage. “He was marvellous. He heard me shout and came to rescue me; I can’t thank him enough.” Despite injuries to her calf and arm in the traumatic experience for which she required hospital treatment, Mrs Long said that all she could think about was her husband telling her off for damaging the car.