Three people escaped serious injury when a car slid, hit a motorway barrier and was struck by a van.

The Seat Ibiza aquaplaned in heavy rain and ended up resting on the fast lane after hitting the central reservation. It was then smashed into by the large panel van.

It happened on the coastbound M20, just past the Junction 11a Channel Tunnel turning, at 10.30pm yesterday.

A Folkestone Fire Station spokesman said that the victims were “ very lucky.”

The 22-year-old woman car passenger was taken to the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford for back injury and the other two people were treated at the scene.