A suspected impaired driver had a lucky escape when his car crashed on North Shore Road and ended up with a wooden post from a roadside barrier speared through the inside of the vehicle from front to back.

Remarkably the young man who was driving the silver-coloured car escaped serious injury, despite the front end of the vehicle being reduced to a mangled wreck after the car collided with the barrier near Barkers Hill in Devonshire at 10.40 p.m. on Wednesday. Police investigating the accident are not aware of any other vehicle or people being involved in what appears to have been a single vehicle incident.

Not only did the driver escape being hurt when a wooden post speared the off-side of the car, the roadside barrier was strong enough to deflect the vehicle from plunging into the sea below. The car ended up in the middle of the road with its engine compartment and bonnet wrecked.

The driver was handcuffed at the scene and taken into custody. North Shore Road was temporarily closed as evidence was gathered and the vehicle recovered.

Police spokesman Robin Simmons, said: ?Police attended what appears to have been a single vehicle road traffic. The driver of the vehicle was arrested for suspected impaired driving.?

Inquiries into the incident are underway.