BOB Pierce knows he was lucky to walk away unscathed from an horrific crash near Leominster – but hopes the person who drove away from the scene will not have an easy ride.

The 62-year-old was driving his wife’s Toyota MR2 to collect a Chinese takeaway in Leominster when it was in collision with a flatbed truck, writing off the car.

After the Pierces’ car turned over and came to rest 100 yards from the point of impact on the A44 near Monkland, the driver of the truck fled the scene.

“My headlights picked out a flatbed vehicle like a car recovery truck approaching from Kingsland and likely to reach the junction as I passed through,” said Mr Pierce who lives in Pembridge.

“A couple of seconds after I’d registered the truck I realised that it wouldn’t be able to stop.

“I really only had time to brace myself for the impact. It felt like the car did a couple of complete rotations.”

Having pulled himself out of the wreckage, remarkably unhurt, Mr Pierce went to look for the other driver.

“There was no-one there,”

he said. “No vehicle at all – he’d driven off.”

The crash has left Mr Pierce wondering what might have been.

“Judging from the damage penetration at the rear of my car the speed of the truck at impact was around 10mph.

“If I had been 0.18 seconds later I would have driven straight into the end of the truck’s front axle.

“It was one of those remarkable situations.

“I have been shaken up by it and keep thinking about what could have happened.

“I had a head-on collision in Wiltshire many years ago but that didn’t shake me up as much as this did.”

Anyone with information about the crash, which happened around 7.45pm on Thursday, February 17, should call police on 0300 333 3000.