A CAR overturned onto its roof in a crash on Oxford’s busy Cowley Road this afternoon.

Witnesses described the impact as like a 'bomb going off' when the dramatic incident unfolded at around 4.10pm.

Pictures taken just after the crash show the vehicle lying upside down in the middle of the 20mph zone by the O2 Academy, near to Manzil way.

Police, fire and ambulance services all attended the scene, however, the male and female occupants of the car escaped serious injury.

Patrick Scarlett, who runs the Chatterbox shop next to the scene, said: “We heard it.

"It was a huge bang, sounded like a bomb had gone off. We managed to get the two people in the car out.

"They seemed ok. We were worried because it was smoking a bit but I think it was just the airbag.

"It was a quiet day but the amount of people on the street in seconds was phenomenal.”

Oxford Mail:

Traffic was forced to divert along Iffley Road for a short period as police closed Cowley Road in both directions between James street and Bullingdon Road.

The car has since been removed and the road reopened.

Another shop manager described a lucky escape as they stood on the busy Cowley Road pavement near to where the crash happened.

They said: “We were standing right outside when it happened.

"The car caught the corner of another one and just flipped.

"Some passers by managed to get them out. I don’t think anyone has been seriously hurt.

"It was so lucky. If a car hadn’t been parked in front of us it could have gone straight into our shop window or hit us."

A spokes man for South Central Ambulance said: "We received multiple 999 calls shortly after 4pm, all reporting an accident outside Subway on Cowley Road resulting in one vehicle overturning.

"We sent two ambulances to the scene and the male and female occupants of the car were treated for minor injuries and discharged at the scene."

The vehicle wreckage, along with two motorbikes, was removed from the scene at around 5.15pm.

Oxford Mail:

Bus services have now returned to normal after having been temporarily diverted along Iffley Road while car was removed.