A 56-YEAR-OLD woman was airlifted to hospital yesterday with shattered limbs following a car accident which killed one of her two dogs.

Jean Mercer, of Tongefields, Bromley Cross, was travelling towards Abbey Village to walk her dogs, when her Peugeot 205 collided with a Renault Saloon heading towards Bolton.

Mrs Mercer suffered multiple fractures to her arms, legs and feet in the accident at 11.10am in Belmont Road, Belmont.

She was taken to the Royal Preston Hospital by air ambulance and was expected to undergo a five-hour operation to rebuild her shattered limbs.

Her condition was today described as stable.

The driver of the Renault, Russell Atkinson and two passengers, all from Morecambe, suffered slight injuries.

RSPCA officers were called to the scene of the accident to look after Mrs Mercer's two German Schnauzer dogs. Four-year-old Lady died later.

The force of the collision forced both vehicles into the middle of the carriageway and police had to close the moorland road for three hours.

Mrs Mercer's husband Tony, a legal adviser, said: "I am totally shocked. By the time I had driven to Preston Jean had already been taken into surgery.

"I'm just grateful that she doesn't seem to have head or spinal injuries."

A spokesman for the North West Air Ambulance crew said: "The woman was very lucky to be alive because her car was in a terrible state."