CAR drivers and their passengers had lucky escapes after two separate smashes at the weekend.

One saw a driver stop inches from oncoming traffic when his car bounced off a kerb and mounted a crash barrier.

The other saw a man cut free from his car by firefighters after he ploughed into a busy roundabout.

In the first crash, a 50-year-old driver and his passenger came to a stop straddling a safety barrier on a dual carriageway.

The silver 4x4 Suzuki Vitara stopped inches from traffic travelling in the fast lane on the A171 Middlesbrough Road, close to Windlebridge.

But a lamp-post stopped the car from ploughing into the path of oncoming traffic.

They had been travelling from Guisborough, towards Middlesbrough, when the accident happened, at about 11.45am on Saturday.

The man managed to free himself but fire crews had to cut his female passenger free from the car. She was taken to hospital for a check-up.

Andy Bulpitt, watch manager of Grangetown Fire Station, said: “I’ve never seen anything like that before in my life.”

“He lost control of his vehicle, went on to the kerb and bounced on top of the barrier.

“He only stopped when he hit a lamp-post. If that lamppost hadn’t been there, it could have been mayhem.”

The road was closed for a short time as emergency rescue crews dealt with the situation.

Meanwhile, a 42-year-old man was taken to hospital with suspected spinal, neck and internal injuries after he ploughed into a roundabout.

The smash happened on Cargo Fleet Lane, as the man drove his blue BMW from Redcar towards Middlesbrough, at about 4pm on Saturday.

As he approached the set of traffic lights close to the Jennings Ford Garage, it’s believed the man’s car brakes failed and he swerved to miss queuing traffic.

His car hit a traffic light before colliding with the roundabout, when his vehicle came to a stop.

Mr Bulpitt said: “He said his brakes failed him at the traffic lights and that there was a line of cars waiting.

“To avoid crashing into the cars, he hit the kerb, couldn’t stop, hit the traffic light and bounced up into the roundabout.”

The man’s female passenger managed to free herself from the wreck. But fire crews had to use cutting equipment to remove the roof and driver’s side of the car, in order to rescue the trapped man.

Mr Bulpitt said: “We cut him free as he was trapped by his injuries, which were possible spinal, neck and internal injuries.”

He was taken to hospital for treatment and later discharged. His passenger was uninjured in the accident.