A MANHUNT was launched after a road smash on the A38 near the Drumbridges junction over the weekend.

A coastguards rescue helicopter joined in the search for the runaway driver after the crash on the Plymouth-bound carriageway at 7pm on Saturday.

The car was reported to have hit the side of the road and sustained serious damage.

But the driver, thought to be injured, was nowhere to be seen when police and paramedics arrived at the scene.

Officers and a dog handler checked the immediate locality while the helicopter scoured the surrounding areas, spending more than half-an-hour buzzing over Bickington.

The manhunt drew a blank – but subsequent inquiries led officers to Paignton where a 22-year-old man was spoken to. He was not injured.

‘Our inquiries are continuing,’ the police spokesman said on Monday.