Doctors said a professional footballer from Layton was 'a walking miracle' after she escaped an horrific motorway crash with just cuts and bruises.

Manchester City player, Rachel Duncan, was told her seat belt had saved her life, but it was her 'extraordinary bone density' that saved her from massive injuries.

The 20-year-old's car was a write-off after barrelling across the westbound M55 on March 22.

Rachel remembers swerving to avoid a car which she thinks made a last-minute dash for the Kirkham turn-off. Her MG ZR, went out of control, smashing sideways into the central barrier, rolling three times and colliding with other cars before coming to rest.

Despite her shock, brave Rachel stayed calm, quickly climbed out of the shattered driver's window and walked over to another motorist for help.

She was taken to the Royal Preston Hospital, where staff were amazed at Rachel's condition.

She told the Citizen: "When I'd had my X-rays the staff were all in amazement that with the severity of the crash I'd not actually broken anything. The radiographer told me I had extraordinary bone density. They said that was down to all the sport I've done. It's obviously paid off!"

She suffered bruising to her neck and back, right arm and shoulder, left leg, and minor cuts to her hands and the back of her head.

But she said: "Someone was definitely looking after me that night.

"The car hit the central reservation, overturned, and barrelled down the road. I was told people saw it roll three times, but at the time I just knew I was going upside down. While I was still in the car, two other cars hit it.

"It was crazy. It was like it was happening in really slow motion. It seems like it went on for a minute, but it must have only been about ten seconds.

"I tried to unlock the door but the lock wouldn't work. The windows were all smashed, apart from the windscreen, so I threw myself out the driver's side window.

"I think it was just instinct that I undid my seat belt and got out. I just thought 'oh my God, it's going to blow up', because there was smoke everywhere."

She looks at the shredded bag that was on the seat beside her, and the steel studs of a football boot, ground down to the core by the crash, and says: "I'm just grateful to be alive."

Rachel plans to be back on the pitch as soon as she can. The crash put her out of a game against Blackburn at the weekend, which Man City lost 2-0. But she joked: "They can put their defeat down to the fact that they were all in trauma!"

At Blackpool and The Fylde College, where Rachel is also a full-time sports and remedial therapy student, her tutor Brian Porter said: "We were all shocked by Rachel's accident. Naturally our hearts go out to her and we wish her a speedy recovery."

Sgt Sean Cunningham, of Lancashire's motorway police unit, agreed that Rachel had been 'very lucky' in the accident, which happened at about10.40pm. According to the police log, two other cars had collided with hers but without serious injury to motorists, and it had taken about 90 mins to clear the carriageway.