A DRIVER has reached out to thank the emergency services and passers-by who helped her at the scene of a car accident which closed a busy road for more than an hour.

Dorothy Turner, 75, of Gafzelle Drive, Canvey, was leaving the cemetery after visiting her husband’s grave when she was involved in what she has called a “freak accident”.

The accident on Wednesday afternoon saw Canvey Road closed in both directions while emergency crews worked to free Mrs Turner.

She said: “It was a sad day as it was the 16th anniversary of my husband’s death and I was at the cemetery to put flowers on his grave.

“I then went to the grave of my granddaughter Ellie who died in January, and I met my eldest daughter Sharon there.

“We had a bench put up on the seafront for Ellie which Sharon hadn’t seen yet so I was going to go and show her where it was.

“I got back in my car and started to reverse out. Sharon says I took it wide and then I don’t really know what happened after that.”

The accident took place shortly after 1pm, after the car left the road at its junction with Edith Road and hit a fence. Police closed the road to allow fire and ambulance crews to work on the scene.

Mrs Turner added: “The police and everyone else came. I was trapped in the car and couldn’t move so the firemen had to cut the roof off to get me out and then I was taken to Southend Hospital in an ambulance.”

The hospital sent Dorothy for a scan to clear concerns she had injured her spine but she has been left badly bruised.

She said: “I’m in terrible agony now and I can barely move which is difficult because I live on my own.”

Mrs Turner defended herself against criticisms of elderly drivers which were made by Echo website readers in the aftermath of the accident.

She said: “I have had two accidents in my entire life. I’ve never hurt anybody so I feel comments about my driving are unfair. There are young drivers that have killed people but I’ve never killed anybody. I apologise to everyone for closing the road but I didn’t hurt anyone except myself.

“I want to thank the police officer who held my head for more than an hour and was talking to me the whole time as I was going in and out of consciousness.

“The fire and ambulance crews were excellent as well.”