76874-12TWO motorists had a lucky escape when a car transporter smashed into the central reservation and overturned on the M4.

The crash happened at 6.30am today as a car attempted to overtake the HGV on the eastbound carriageway between junction 16 and 17 Swindon east and Chippenham.

Commuters faced delays after lanes on both carriageways were closed.

Two of seven Vauxhall Corsas loaded on to the lorry came loose as it careered into the opposite carriageway and toppled over.

Police say the two drivers were lucky to escape serious injury.

The trucker, who was in his 30s, was treated at Great Western Hospital for cuts to his head and arms.

Despite being crushed between the lorry and the central fencing, the car driver, a man in his 20s, suffered only shock.

PC Paul Hood, who attended the scene, said: "They were both extremely lucky to get away so lightly. They could easily have suffered serious injuries.

"Bearing in mind it happened around peak time, it was lucky the westbound carriageway was clear as the transporter overturned, blocking two lanes."

The cause of the crash which happened near the Dauntsey flyover is unclear.

"The car was travelling in lane two, overtaking the lorry," said PC Hood. "The lorry driver lost control, went across the carriageway, pushing the car into the central reservation."

The lorry belonged to Mainland Car Deliveries, which has offices at Royal Portbury Dock in Bristol.

Courier Gerry Jackson, 70, from Abbey Meads, saw the scene from the Dauntsey flyover.

"It looked really nasty and I thought there would probably be serious injuries," he said.

Lanes two and three westbound and lane three eastbound were shut for four hours as the debris was cleared. Drivers heading towards Swindon were able to use the hard shoulder.

In the last month there have been 13 accidents on that stretch of the motorway, prompting police to call on drivers to take more care.

Despite this, the route is still ranked among the safest in the country.

Last month, a survey by the AA rated it as low-risk by comparing the frequency of accidents with volume of traffic.