A MOTHER who cheated death today relived the moment when she risked her own life to save her son and passers-by.

Kate Hatzar, 24, of Maria Street, Darwen, escaped with minor injuries after her runaway car ploughed into a wall and pinned her underneath the collapsed bricks.

Kate, a care assistant at White Ash Brook Nursing Home, in Thwaites Road, Oswaldtwistle, was taking her four-year-old son, Jordan, to school at St Joseph's Primary School, in Limes Avenue, Darwen, when the accident happened after the handbrake snapped on her Volkswagen Golf.

Today she told how gut instinct made her chase after the vehicle when she realised it was heading towards a group of passing women.

She said: "I'd just got Jordan out of the car and I went back in to get his lunch box and the next minute it started rolling down the hill and I shouted at him to move out of the way.

"There were some women as well so I shouted at them to move and I set off running to try and stop it. It was just instinct.

"The car only just missed them. I remember seeing one of them jumping out of the way. I was really worried about it going through the front window and into the house." Kate said she was counting her lucky stars that Jordan was out of the car at the time and said: "Normally he waits in the car until I get him out but for some reason he got out himself.

"I'm so glad he wasn't in there.

"He's been chatting about the accident and saying how he watched the car rolling down and his mum going down with it.

"He's a bit hoarse today though after all the shouting he did that morning.

"I'm really lucky I escaped with just shock.

"I normally only go to school in a thin jumper but that day I was wearing a big padded coat and a cap which I think helped pad my fall.

"I don't know how I ended up under the wall.

"I don't remember too much of it but I know what people mean now when they say your life flashes in front of you.

"I just couldn't believe it."

But Kate is not letting the accident get her down too much and is already making plans to get back behind the wheel.

She said: "I think I've got nine lives.

"I'll definitely be living life to the full now.

"If you knew before hand what was going to happen you wouldn't bother getting out of bed."

A spokesman for Darwen ambulance said: "She was very lucky.

"The wall fell right on top of her and we thought she was quite badly injured.

"We put her on a spinal board and put a collar on her but in the end she was all right.

"It could have been much worse."