A Maidstone woman had a lucky escape when an out-of-control car careered across the central reservation of the A229 and ploughed into oncoming traffic.

Faye Wilkinson-Leigh was driving towards the town centre in Fairmeadow at 7.20pm last Wednesday when a silver Audi crashed into the back of her blue Ford Ka before hitting three other vehicles.

The impact span the 33-year-old’s car around and damaged the driver’s side door, leaving her trapped until emergency services arrived.

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Debris was strewn across the road at the junction with Earl Street and Fremlin Walk’s car park.

Mrs Wilkinson-Leigh contacted the Kent Messenger to thank motorists who HAD stayed with her until help arrived.

She said: “There was a woman who crawled into the car from the off side to hold my hand and another man who stayed with me and kept talking to me and making sure I was ok.

“I don’t even know who, but somebody also got into the back of the car and supported my neck for a good half hour until the emergency services took over.”

Mrs Wilkinson-Leigh was left in shock, suffering from whiplash and with extensive bruising to her back, but she acknowledges it could have been much worse.

The Richy’s Barber Shop worker said: “The doctor said it was probably worse because I saw it coming. If it had hit a few feet up it would have gone straight into me.”

Harry Bartlett, who was in his artic van, escaped uninjured.

He said: “From what I could tell, the silver Audi was heading out of Maidstone and must have been doing some considerable speed, lost control and hit the car ahead of him.

“He then bounced off of that car and then flew into the blue Ka which then smashed into me.”

Video: A Maidstone woman had a lucky escape when an out-of-control car careered across the central reservation of the A229 and ploughed into oncoming traffic.

Traffic was diverted via Earl Street, Pudding Lane and High Street and queues stretched back to Royal Engineers’ Road. The road was open again by 8pm.

Police arrested the driver of the silver Audi on suspicion of drink driving. They later released him without charge.