A HEREFORDSHIRE mother has stressed the importance of taking care on the county’s roads after a miracle escape from a car accident.

Imojen Du Fours, who was travelling with her two young children, says she is lucky to be alive after an accident that saw her car overturn at Mortimer’s Cross.

Ms Du Fours, aged 39, was with her three-and-a-half-year-old son Bobby and 10-month-old daughter Jaya at the time of the accident, as well as two friends, Matthew Smithdale and Jen Sheeran.

She said: “It was nothing short of a miracle – it really was. I don’t know who was looking out for us and how we are still alive. I cannot believe we walked out with minor scraps and bruises. I had glass embedded in my chest, legs and arms but it could have been so much worse.” Ms Du Fours, who lives in Leintwardine, had to be pulled from the vehicle by firefighters, along with her daughter, after the accident happened at around 8.20pm on April 7.

“My two friends and son got out of the car but the firefighters had to get me and my daughter out,” she said.

“I think we were knocked out for a good 20 minutes because it was light when we crashed and dark when we came round. The car spun and we went into a tree which seemed to act as a lever as we went over three times and landed on the roof.” Ms Du Fours’ Volkswagen Golf was badly damaged and debris covered the A4110, closing the road for several hours.

“We landed 50 yards from the Mortimer’s Cross pub at the crossroads,” she said. “The front of the car was completely flattened and has since been crushed.” Fortunately, Ms Du Fours’ young daughter was securely strapped into a child safety seat which prevented serious injury. “There was not a mark on her – not even a bruise.” Ms Du Fours also recommends driving carefully when roads are wet.

“I think it would pay people to take care. It had been drizzling on-and-off and there was a lot of ground water on that part of the road,” she said. “I would advise people to exercise caution because you never know what will happen.” Ms Du Fours would like to thank the emergency services and passers-by who stopped to help.

“I don’t think we would have been here today had it not been for people getting us out of there,” she said.

No other vehicles were involved in the accident.