FOUR people had a lucky escape when a car left the road and struck a tree on a fast Hampshire road - just a day after the driver had passed his test.

The single vehicle accident happened on the A3090 near Romsey.

Hants Road Policing, tweeted and said that the driver had only just passed his driving test.

According to a passenger in the car, the crash was caused by something running out into the road.

Whitney Watts, an apprentice from Lordshill, said:"We picked up my friend up from a party, we were coming home we were going down the A3090, because it was dark and we couldn't see he slowed down to about 55mph and something ran out in the road and he swerved to avoid it.

"He lost control in the panic and that's why we went over into the hedge."

"He is shocked and really upset by what happened."

"There was very little time to react, it was such a shock to everybody, I think because he passed his test a day before it happened it was dark and there was not much he could do."

She was taken to hospital along with the driver and two other passengers in the car.

The 17-year-old said doctors told her that she was lucky to be alive following the crash.

Hants Road Policing described the crash as a "lucky escape", and said if the tree hadn't been rotten, they believe the outcome could have been "horrendous".