HOW did he get out alive?

A motorist had an incredible escape following a dramatic crash that ended with his car being submerged in water in Hampshire.

The red Ford Escort had crashed off a road and rolled several times before sinking down into the deep, muddy water.

The unnamed motorist managed to escape from his vehicle with just minor injuries and climbed on to its roof until firefighters arrived to rescue him.

The dramatic crash happened near to Romsey, and firefighters have described the motorist as “very lucky”, saying the outcome could have been worse if the car had landed on its roof.

Police say the driver hit a traffic island prior to crashing off the A27 near Hampshire Collegiate School, located on the outskirts of Shootash.

Before it went down the embankment into the water, crashing into trees on the way, police said it rolled over several times before finally landing wheels down.

Fire crew manager at St Mary’s station Charlie Turnbull said: “We were called to a road traffic collision involving a car that had rolled and ended up in deep flood water.

“Fire crews from Romsey and St Mary’s effected a quick and safe rescue using an aerial ladder platform.”

It was dark when the accident happened.

On their arrival, fire crews from Romsey decided it was too risky to use a conventional ladder to try and rescue the man and called in a crew with the brigade’s aerial ladder platform, which has a 32-metre high reach.

Firefighters then gently got the driver on to the platformand hoisted him safely back on to dry land.

He had suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene by an ambulance crew before being taken to Southampton General Hospital for further assessment.

Mr Turnbull said: “Before our arrival the male had managed to release himself from the vehicle and we found him sat on top of the car.

“He was extremely lucky to have been spotted by passers-by who made the emergency call and also to have suffered only minor injuries.”

A police spokesman said: “He was lucky.

“It could have been a lot worse if his car had ended up on its roof in the water because it was between 4ft and 5ft deep.”