Ella Cunliffe-Bond thanked emergency services and members of the public for coming to her aid last week.

Sidmouth Herald: Ella Cunliffe-Bond suffered concussion and minor injuries after escaping from her overturned car.Ella Cunliffe-Bond suffered concussion and minor injuries after escaping from her overturned car. (Image: Archant)

A student from Sidmouth had a ‘miracle’ escape after avoiding serious injury when her car overturned.

Ella Cunliffe-Bond, 22, said she is ‘thanking her lucky stars’ that she was not seriously hurt when her Renault Megane ended up on its roof in Bulverton Road.

Her parents rushed to the scene after learning of the accident last Tuesday and feared the worst when they saw the wreck.

Ella was taken to hospital with concussion and minor injuries and was able to return home the next morning.

She this week thanked emergency services and passers-by for their help.

Ella had been driving to work and said she had no recollection of the accident itself. She regained consciousness to find her car on its roof.

University of Kent student Ella, who works part-time with children with special needs, was found by a helpful couple, who called her parents and work and stayed with her until police, fire crews and paramedics arrived.

“They asked if I was alright. I was able to wiggle my legs, so I knew that I was fine. I could smell fuel, so I just wanted to get out,” said Ella. “My first thought was, ‘I’m going to be so late for work’.”

She said: “The policeman said, ‘seeing you and seeing your car, it looks like you have come from two different accidents’.

“I’m very grateful to everybody there at the time.”

Crews from Sidmouth fire station were called to the incident at around 8.40pm and found police were already in attendance. Officers remained with the vehicle to arrange recovery.

Nikki and Barry Cunliffe, who had calmly been told their daughter had been in a ‘little accident’, arrived at the scene to find her car upside down.

Nikki said: “It was shocking. Her car is barely recognisable.

“It’s a miracle - a once-in-a-lifetime thing and she’s lucky to get out of it. When we got to the scene we were behind the fire engine and I wasn’t sure what I was going to see.

“My husband ran up and came across the car and was sure it was fatal. We’ve thought about a lot of ‘what ifs’, and asked Ella, ‘how have you walked away from that?’”

Highways officers attended the scene to deal with a liquid on the road before it was reopened at 10.50pm.