AN Eastleigh driver had a miracle escape early today when her luxury car plunged off a sliproad bridge and landed in gorse next to a motorway.

Firefighters called to the scene at Chilworth estimated that the S-Type Jaguar travelled about 30 to 40 feet through the air before landing on its roof.

But the 37-year-old driver managed to crawl out of the passenger window - and walked away unharmed.

Police said the accident happened at about 12.15am after the southbound Jaguar took the A33 link road to Chilworth from the M3.

The car left the carriageway, smashed through railings and plunged over a bridge to the M27 below.

Police were not naming the driver but confirmed she was from the Eastleigh area.

It is understood that after escaping from her wrecked car - which was concealed by bushes after the crash - the driver was taken to a police station by a passing motorist before returning to the scene with the police.

Firefighters from Eastleigh and Redbridge, Southampton, were called to the accident but were not required to take emergency action.

Today a Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "She was a slightly-built lady and was able to exit the car. She was very lucky.

"You could assume that all the safety features in that car had a great deal to do towards saving her life. Most car crashes like that end up with serious injuries."

He said the car had stopped where it had landed on its roof and was completely covered in gorse and bushes.

"It was difficult to find and difficult to get to. If she had been trapped in the car it would have been a challenging exercise to extricate her."

The car was said to be extensively damaged.