A Hampshire pensioner is lucky to be alive after her car plunged 20ft down a hill when her sandal got trapped in the accelerator.

The woman, who is in her 80s, couldn’t stop and crashed through metal railings before her Nissan Micra rolled several times down a bank before coming to rest among trees and bushes.

Firefighters and a specialist ambulance team, trained to deal with patients in hazardous spots, were alerted.

Branches and trees were cut from around the wreckage and the elderly driver hoisted from the car using ropes.

She was taken to Southampton General Hospital after escaping from the accident on Queens Road, Winchester, with non-life-threatening injuries.

Firefighter James Locke, of Winchester Fire Station, who attended the scene, said: “It could have been much, much worse. She was very lucky. She was very shocked.

“She didn’t suffer any life-threatening injuries. She was more concerned that people were making too much of a fuss about her.”

Mr Locke added: “Apparently when she was being hoisted out she was asked where on her body she was in pain and she said ‘I’m in my 80s – I hurt everywhere!’.”

He said the pensioner believes her sandal became caught on the accelerator, causing her car to go out of control.