A woman believs her dog helped save her life by pulling her away from a grass verge minutes before a car smashed head-on into a tree.

Ludka Britanakova with her Manchester Terrier UnoLudka Britanakova said she felt lucky to be alive after seeing a Ford Focus crash into the tree off the A40 London Road, near the Headington Roundabout.

Miss Britanakova was walking her 10-month-old Manchester Terrier, Uno, along the verge when he stopped and pulled at his lead.

Uno guided her towards a man that Miss Britanakova recognised, who was walking his Labrador.

Miss Britanakova, 26, was talking to the man when she saw the car "fly" towards them as they stood about 25m away, near the corner of Collinwood Road and The Larches.

"We heard this big bang and a cracking noise, and saw the car and a tree flying in the air. I felt very shocked."

Firefighters spent more than two hours cutting the car's male driver free.

He was taken to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital for treatment.

The car's only passenger managed to climb free from the back seat before firefighters arrived, at about 5.30pm on Monday.

Miss Britanakova, who lives in nearby Risinghurst, said: "It was just so close.

"I feel very lucky that Uno stopped us when he did and noticed the man with the dog, otherwise I do not want to think what might have happened."

Miss Britanakova said she would continue to walk near the same route with Uno, but would take more care.

"It has really made me realise how quickly things can happen," she said.