AN ELDERLY motorist has praised the emergency services and community for their quick reaction after his car flipped on its roof following a serious collision on the B3400.

Richard and Josephine Oram became trapped upside down in their car following a collision with a bus on the single carriageway between Whitchurch and Overton on Sunday, around 12.50pm.

Mr Oram, 74, said that he and his wife were travelling back to their home in Lion Close, Overton, from a car boot sale in Winchester when all he can remember was being upside down and the car sliding on its roof.

He said: “I have been driving 55 years and never had a major accident and it was a horrible experience, but the reaction of local people and the emergency services was wonderful.

“I managed to kick open my door and wriggle free, and the first person I saw was someone I used to go to school with and when the people who helped free my wife, the gentleman holding her hand said ‘you used to shorten my trousers for me.’

“It was an horrendous situation but wonderful how people came to help, I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who helped us.”

Fellow motorists pulled Mr Oram and his 70-year-old wife from the wreckage.

Matthew Carlton was travelling with his family to visit friends when he saw traffic slowing down.

“I got out of my car to see what was going on and I could see people dragging the driver to the side of the road,” said the 36-year-old.

“There was still a woman in the car, so along with two or three others we tried to get her out. It is a miracle they both managed to get up pretty much unscathed, it could have been a lot worse.”