Etruria girls lucky escape

A SCHOOLGIRL is lucky to be alive after being trapped for 30 minutes under a car which ploughed into her family as they walked along a city centre road.

The eight-year-old escaped serious injury thanks to a metal barrier which fell on top of her as she became trapped under the vehicle.

She sustained leg injuries and was taken to hospital with her dad who suffered head injuries in the incident.

They were walking along Etruria Road in Etruria at 7pm last night with the girl's mum and brother when the incident happened.

A BMW hit the father and daughter following a collision with an Audi close to the Plough Inn and pushed her into safety barriers surrounding road works.

Paramedics said the girl came to rest in a small hollow with one of the metal barriers on top of her, while her legs were trapped by the car.

She was stuck for about half-an-hour while firefighters worked to free her.

A West Midlands Ambulance spokesman said: "The mum, dad, son and daughter were walking along the road. There are roadworks and the area is cordoned off by metal and plastic barriers.

"There was a collision between a car and the father and daughter.

"When crews arrived they found the car had come to rest against a mound of earth. Underneath the front of the car was an eight-year-old girl and on top of her was one of the metal barriers.

"By some quirk of fate, she was lying in a small hollow.

"Firefighters had to use inflatable bags to raise the front of the car so that the ambulance staff and doctor could get the girl out. She had lacerations to her lower legs but no obvious fractures. It appears the combination of the metal barrier and small hollow provided some level of protection.

"Her father had suffered head and left-leg injuries. There is no doubt that they have escaped with remarkably minor levels of injury considering what has happened.

"An elderly man driving the car was unhurt but was clearly shaken by what had happened. He did not require hospital treatment."