'I am lucky to have survived horror crash'

Last-moment car spin saved head-on collision with a tree

- By Ryan Thom

A RALLY driver dad is lucky to be alive after his car ploughed into a tree.

Michael Moates told of his miracle escape as he narrowly avoided death during the Argyll Rally, when cars regularly hit speeds of 100mph.

The co-driver was left upside down and in agony seconds after his vehicle careered off the track, spun and flipped before hitting a tree.

The 24-year-old, from Aberdeen, suffered a broken back and collar bone but said a last-moment spin of the car prevented what would have been a fatal head-on collision. The other driver, Justin Gunning, was unscathed.

Miracle

The shocking accident unfolded on Friday, June 20, with emergency services rushing to the course near Ardtaraig, around 10 miles from Dunoon. Remarkably, the duo avoided a fireball disaster with the fuel tank and engine left intact.

Father-of-two Michael said: "I am very lucky to still be here.