A DRIVER had a ‘lucky escape’ according to motorway police following a crash on the M65.

The motorist only suffered scratches despite the red Fiat Punto leaving the carriageway and crashing into a fence.

A panel on the fence missed smashing the windscreen by inches. The smash happened between junctions five and six at Blackburn around noon on Friday.

One lane of the motorway and the hard shoulder were closed for around an hour to allow officers from the North West Motorway Policing group and the Highways Agency to recover the vehicle.