A DRIVER and his passenger had a miraculous escape after a freak accident in Stoke Prior, which has sparked fresh calls for road safety measures to be taken in the village.

The collision happened just after 8am on Monday morning when a white DAF tipper lorry travelling towards Bromsgrove along Hanbury Road hit the bridge near the Navigation Inn.

The male driver and his passenger were trapped in the vehicle for about 45 minutes while paramedics and firefighters worked to free them and make sure they were stable. Both men were taken by ambulance to the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch. The flying doctor also attended the incident.

The men suffered spinal injuries and the passenger also had cuts to his head.

It is believed the accident happened when the crane on the back of the lorry struck the bridge and stopped it suddenly. This caused the vehicle to "rear" up and hit the underside of the bridge causing the cab to collapse on the men.

Network Rail was required to stop trains passing over the bridge until the damage to the bridge was assessed. The road was eventually fully re-opened at 12.39pm.

A Bromsgrove fire station spokesman said White Watch was at the scene for about an hour and half. He said: "It took about three quarters of an hour to free the men because we were working as a team with the paramedics to make sure the men were stable throughout the process."

A crew from Droitwich also attended and the heavy cutting gear from Droitwich was also used.

The truck was from Balfour Beatty. A company spokesman confirmed two of its employees were taken to hospital after the incident. She said Balfour Beatty was now carrying out a full investigation into the incident so it was inappropriate to comment further at this time.

Stoke Parish Council chairman, Thelma Roll, said she heard an "almighty" bang when the accident occurred near her home.

She said: "This road is horrendous and something needs to be done. I have been onto this problem for the past 20 years. These are only narrow country lanes and are not made for the amount of vehicles which now pass through."

PC Tom Symonds, road policing team, said: "We are appealing for any witnesses to this incident who saw the collision or the vehicle being driven beforehand."

Anyone with information should contact Rubery police on 0845 444 888.