A LEARNER driver collided head on with another car and had to be taken to hospital – during her driving test.

The 31-year-old woman was driving along the B4553 Packhorse Lane near Purton when the black Skoda Fabia she was taking her test in collided head on with a silver Honda Civic at the junction with Tadpole Lane.

The crash took place just before 11am yesterday, and the road was closed for several hours as police carried out a detailed investigation and the vehicles were recovered.

Police, firefighters and paramedics rushed to the scene as the woman needed to be cut out of the car amid concerns of back and neck pain.

The 68-year-old Honda driver and the driving examiner were walking wounded when emergency crews arrived and were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

PC George Rabczak, of the Wiltshire Police roads policing team, said everyone was lucky to survive the incident.

He said: “Thankfully nobody was seriously hurt and it is testament to modern safety features such as crumple zones and airbags that they have survived.

“Given the extent of the damage to both vehicles and that the impact was on the driver's side of each car, everyone is lucky to have suffered only minor injuries.

“The fire brigade were called to cut the roof off as the woman was medically trapped. She was conscious and breathing, but very shaken and she was on her driving test.

“The circumstances are the woman, under test conditions, collided head on, on the corner, with a Honda driven by a man in the direction of Cricklade.”

A spokesman for the Great Western Ambulance Service said they received a 999 call at 10.57am reporting a two-car collision.

A paramedic in a rapid-response vehicle was first on scene and carried out an initial assessment and requested back-up, including the Wiltshire Air Ambulance because the female learner driver had not been responsive at first and appeared to be trapped, preventing the paramedic from doing a full assessment.

He said: “Her initial lack of responsiveness was probably down to shock.

“The fire service attended and took the roof off the car to release her, she was placed on a spinal board and taken to the Great Western Hospital as a precaution.”

Her passenger, believed to be her examiner, was also taken to the GWH as a a precautionary measure.

The driver of the Honda was assessed on scene by emergency services but no further treatment was required.