AHADI YAKE ILIKUWA BADO

A woman who plunged over a 100ft cliff in her car while not wearing a seatbelt says she cannot believe she's alive. Imetoka ITN

Related photos / videos

Lucky escape Play video

• Lucky escape Play video
• Cliff dive motorist stunned to be alive.

Barbara Tyreman, 60, accidentally hit the accelerator of her Mini as she tried to reach for her seatbelt when leaving her home in Eskdaleside, near Whitby, North Yorkshire.

The grandmother, who runs a holiday letting business, then swerved to avoid hitting another car and her Mini "flew" over the edge of the cliff and came to rest 100ft below wedged between two trees.

Mrs Tyreman, who still can't believe how she escaped unhurt, said: "As I was reaching back for my seatbelt, my foot hit the accelerator and I shot right across, quite fast, across the car park and down the drive, which is very long and steep.

"I was hurtling down the drive and I tried to put the brake on but for some reason I kept hitting the accelerator and just carried straight on.

"My daughter and granddaughter were in a car in front of me and I didn't want to hit them so I turned the car to the left and just flew, literally flew, and went over the cliff edge. It went down for about 100ft and the car came to a halt."

She added: "I was sat in my car and realised I hadn't banged my head and my legs and arms and everything were still moving and I couldn't believe it."

Firefighters had to cut Mrs Tyreman from the car and she was airlifted by helicopter to Scarborough Hospital, where she was X-rayed and given blood tests but released later the same day with just a bruise on her arm.

She said: "I just don't know how I'm alive, I'm very lucky, my life flashed before my eyes. I'm just happy that I'm here and I've got my family and everything."