A van driver was lucky to escape with minor injuries after crashing his vehicle off the M40 near Banbury before hitting power cables.

Fire crews were called to the northbound carriageway of the motorway about 4.15pm yesterday to reports of a collision between junction 11 at Banbury and junction 12 at Gaydon.

Three crews from Banbury, Deddington and Hook Norton fire stations attended and found a trail of destruction that extended from the hard shoulder to over 25 metres across the embankment, including vehicle parts, work tools, broken fences, a wooden electricity pole that had been snapped in half – but at first they could see no vehicle.

It was only when crews climbed to the top of the embankment that they spotted the van 25 metres away from the carriageway.

Trauma-trained firefighters then helped medical teams from West Midlands Ambulance Service to remove the driver from the van back to the carriageway where the ambulance was parked.

They also worked with Warwickshire Police to ensure that the Electricity Distribution Company were made aware of the exact location of the power line to allow their engineers to attend and make it safe.

Station manager David Bray, who attended the incident, said: "When I first saw the van I was very concerned as to the state that we might find any of the occupants.

"I am astounded that the driver has escaped this incident with relatively minor injuries.

"It looks like the van has gone airborne as it got to the top of the embankment, hit the power lines that are carrying electricity at 11,000 volts, and then came crashing back down to earth rolling several times before coming to rest.

"The amount of tools that were thrown out of the vehicle just shows how important it is to secure any load, as even the smallest of items in a car or van can become a lethal projectile in the event of a crash."

Oxfordshire Fire Service is advising drivers to take extra care when driving during the current spell of rapidly changing weather conditions.