Woman's lucky escape as she dashes from car minutes before it bursts into flames

A young woman had a narrow escape as she got out of her car moments before it after driving on a busy road.

Emma Banner was driving near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on Friday when she suddenly noticed smoke coming from the car’s bonnet. The 21-year-old pulled down a junction where she came to a stop as the vehicle was “shuddering quite a bit”.

Moments after she got out of the car it burst into flames and was tended to by a kind member of the public, who stopped after seeing the smoke. She told : “I was completely shaken up and in bits as I was very frightened.

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“My car had no warning lights come on but began to stop me from accelerating. I heard a loud bang and my car was juddering quite a bit.

"I started to assume my tyre was blown or something. The closest place to pull over was the exit to Junction 42. I felt very worried and anxious about what was going on so reached for my phone to call my mum, then I noticed smoke coming from my bonnet so I got out.

"Luckily, a man pulled over to help as he also saw the smoke. It was only a couple of minutes later the fire started.

"The man stayed with me until emergency services arrived and he helped me calm down. I was lucky enough to get out just before the car caught fire.”

Emma was checked by paramedics as firefighters put out the blaze at the side of the road. She added: “I’m still very shaken up and upset I’ve lost quite a few of my belongings I had with me in the car and, of course, I'm very upset I have lost my car."