A driver who crashed into an Oxford bus stop on Monday has had a lucky escape as emergency services have expressed relief no-one was waiting on the pavement. 

The crash took place on Monday afternoon on Woodstock road, a main city route, and left a BMW crumpled and a bus stop shattered.

Emergency services were called to the crash at around 5pm. 

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Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has since confirmed that the driver managed to escape the vehicle before firefighters arrived on the scene.

The driver, who suffered significant shock, was later taken to hospital for precautionary checks after immediate emergency care by firefighters at the scene.

Responding to witness accounts of smoke, the fire service explained that when airbags activate they sometimes "release a powder which can look like the vehicle smoking".

Oxford Mail: Car crashed into bus stop in north Oxford

They also noted that had someone been waiting at the bus stop it "could have turned out to be a very different incident".

A statement from the fire service said: "On arrival crews were faced with a Road Traffic Collision where a vehicle had left the highway and crashed into a bus shelter.

"Please try to take care whilst driving on the roads.

"Fortunately there was nobody waiting for a bus on this occasion but it could have turned out to be a very different incident."