A man driving a silver Volvo escaped serious injury just before dawn today when his car hit the rear of an unlit lorry stationary at Melksham.

The lorry, laden with 14 tonnes of pallets driven by a Swindon man, had a light failure on the A350 between the Beanacre roundabout and the roundabout for the Melksham Police station.

The Volvo, driven by a Trowbridge man, hit the rear of the lorry and careered across the carriage way taking out trees and road signs coming to rest 50 metres down the road.

Although the car was extensively damaged the driver escaped injury.

The road was closed for around an hour while police cleared the carriageway.