Driver rescued from rail cutting (From Stroud News and Journal)

Driver rescued from rail cutting

A MOTORIST was rushed to hospital by helicopter after his car plunged off a railway bridge and down an embankment.

The rail line between Stroud and Kemble was closed and the road Cowcombe Hill, Chalford was cordoned off by police while paramedics and fire crews battled to rescue the pensioner on Tuesday morning.

Witnesses told police they saw the L-registered red Ford Escort roll slowly through the wire fencing next to the brick built bridge and over the edge of a 10ft drop, as the car travelled down the hill towards Chalford.

Paramedics were on the scene within minutes of the accident at around 9.20pm.

"He may have had a medical collapse," said paramedic Andy Long, who said the motorist was thrown free of the car.

"The main difficulty was getting him up the bank."

The air ambulance ferried the man, who was believed to be in his 70s, to Frenchay Hospital, Bristol for treatment to his broken left femur.

His injuries were not believed to be life threatening. No one else was in the car and no other vehicle was involved.

Insp Mac McGarry of Stroud police said that although the car was not on the line, Railtrack had shut that section of it down until the car had been recovered safely, at around 10.20am.

All rail traffic between Stroud and Kemble was diverted via Bristol for an hour and the A419 between Chalford and the Cirencester Road was closed to traffic for fire crews to recover the vehicle.