A group of friends today told of their horror after they saw a car flip into the air and plunge down a 140ft banking.

A Silsden pensioner was driving the Suzuki Vitara when she lost control near the Cow and Calf Rocks in Hangingstone Road, Ben Rhydding, Ilkley.

Amazingly, a tree 60ft down the cliff stopped the 70-year-old's vehicle from hurtling towards a row of houses at the bottom.

Eighteen-year-olds Andrew Jackson, Andrew Hutchings, David Nicholson, of Otley, and James Robertshaw, of Menston, witnessed the accident while taking a walk.

Mr Hutchings said: "We were down by the rocks and heard this massive screech.

"She took off and was heading towards the bottom.

"Initially we were a bit apprehensive about going down to help, because it looked so bad and we didn't know what we would be faced with. But then we rushed to help."

Mr Hutchings, who works in telesales, said they could not walk down the banking because it was so steep.

"We had to go down on our backsides," he said.

"When we got there we couldn't believe that she was OK. We had thought the worst.

"We reassured her and called for the emergency services on a mobile phone. We also contacted her husband to tell him and to tell him she was fine."

The woman, who has asked not to be named, was rushed to Airedale General Hospital following the crash on Tuesday at about 9.25pm.

Mr Hutchings said he was pleased she was now recovering.

The woman lives with her 73-year-old husband in a cottage in the centre of Silsden. She suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and her husband said the vehicle was "her legs".

Inspector Alison Bennett, of Ilkley police, said the woman was lucky to be alive. "It could have been fatal," she said. "The five lads reacted very well and deserve to be praised".

Residents in the houses at the bottom of the banking said it was not the first time a car has careered off the road in that area.

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