PENSIONER Bessie Driver had to be rescued by firemen after her car plunged into the River Irwell on Tuesday (Jan 4).

Mrs Driver's Rover 216 shot through a fence, over the embankment and nose-dived into the fast flowing river forcing the 85-year-old to clamber from the car and await help.

Miraculously, the woman escaped injury although the front end of the automatic car sustained heavy damage as a result of the accident.

Still shaken Mrs Driver told how she was driving away from her home at The Spinnings in Summerseat when she accidentally hit the accelerator - forcing the car to shoot into the river.

She said: "Thieves had broken into my car over the Christmas period but the only thing they had taken was the remote control that opened the driveway gate.

"I opened the gates manually and was slowly moving forward when, rather than the brake, my foot pressed on the accelerator and the vehicle shot forward and finished up in the river."

Mrs Driver climbed out of the car on to the banking but became stuck.

Firefighters used a ladder to rescue her and paramedics escorted her back to her nearby apartment home.

Mrs Driver said: "I was very lucky to avoid injury although I am still shaken by what happened. Thankfully, no other cars were coming along the road when my car shot across it. It could have been a lot worse."

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