First image of crashed 4×4

Tuesday 26th August 2008, 11:50AM BST.

This is the first picture showing how lucky an escape a pensioner had after the car he was in overturned in Shropshire.The 85-year-old man, thought to be from Church Stretton, stunned emergency workers after clambering out of the window of his damaged car, which was lying overturned after crashing off a road between Much Wenlock and Church Stretton.

He had to scramble 10 feet up an embankment after the incident on Sunday.

Emergency safety measures are already in place and structural damage to the bridge is due to be assessed today.

John Williams, Shropshire County Council’s bridge team leader, said: “We will be carrying out repair works to the humpback bridge at East Wall in due course. A bridge engineer will be inspecting the site today.”

It is believed he car left the road and clipped the parapet of the bridge before landing in the river. Police spokeswoman Maria Hawkaluk confirmed that the collision involved a green Isuzu Trooper and a blue Volvo.

She said: “The four by four had left the road and ended up in the river bed.”

View more: South Shropshire news.