A MOTORIST was seriously injured when a car crashed into her as she scraped ice off her windscreen on a busy road.

Dianna Hall, 60, is believed to have pulled over onto a grass verge in Accrington Road, Whalley, when her BMW’s window frosted up, police said.

Officers said she was scraping her car when an Audi clipped the vehicle, which was partly on the verge and in the road, knocking her over, officers said.

The Audi lost control and hit a HGV travelling in the opposite direction towards the A59, according to police.

The Audi then came to a stop on top of Mrs Hall, police believe.

It took firefighters 20 minutes to free her from under the vehicle at 10am yesterday.

Emergency services said they were surprised Mrs Hall was not more severely injured.

Mrs Hall did sustain severe pelvic injuries, but was conscious.

She was airlifted to the Royal Blackburn Hospital and is expected to undergo surgery, police said.

Sergeant Pete Sculpher, who is leading the investigation, said: “This was a peculiar and one-off set of circumstances unlike anything I have seen before.

"It would appear that the weather conditions have played a part in this collision and I would urge people to take extra care on the roads.

"The combination of the low sun and mud and grit on the roads can make windscreens difficult to see through.

“In such low temperatures the screenwash which is used to clean the windscreen can also freeze instantly, making visibility even worse.

"People need to take these conditions into account take into before setting off on a journey.

“I would advise people who are struggling to see through their windscreens and are unable to clear them to pull over when it is safe to do so.

"However, we are still keen to speak to anybody who witnessed this collision and I would urge any witnesses to contact police."

The female driver of the Audi suffered cuts and bruises and shock and was also taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital.

The make driver of the HGV suffered bruising, but was not taken to hospital.

The road was closed for around for five hours while police carried out the investigation and diversions were put in place.

Anybody with any information should contact police on 01254 51212 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.