A MOTORIST survived a spectacular crash on the A38 near Drumbridges over the weekend.

His Newton Abbot-registered Audi crashed off the carriageway, plunged 25ft down a ditch and landed precariously on a security fence outside the British Ceramic Tiles factory.

Rescuers declared afterwards: ‘He was very lucky to walk away from it all.’

The driving compartment of his car escaped relatively unscathed - but the rest of the vehicle was badly damaged, particularly the roof and rear end.

Firefighters propped up a short extension ladder to allow the slightly injured casualty to climb down from his precarious perch. He was checked over by paramedics who treated him at the scene for minor injuries to his arm before taking him to hospital for a check-up.

It is understood his car travelled some 200 metres along the fence before coming to rest.

The accident happened just after 2am on Sunday. Fire crews from Newton Abbot, Ashburton and Bovey Tracey attended.

Fire spokesman Phil Scammells said: ‘He was extremely lucky. The car suffered a lot of damage, especially the roof which was flattened and the rear. Fortunately the driver’s compartment was almost untouched.’

A heavy rescue vehicle from Exeter was sent to the scene to help with the operation to remove the driver and make the area safe. Small tools, lighting and a saw were used to make sure the driver was safely evacuated from the car.

A police spokesman said no other vehicles were involved in the incident. The road was clear by 6.15am.