POLICE accident investigators were last night still waiting to speak to a driver who was injured on a notorious cross-country road.

The 47-year-old Glaswegian and his seven-year-old passenger were lucky to escape with their lives when their car ran off the road on the A66, a few hundred yards east of the Bowes Moor Hotel, near Barnard Castle, in County Durham.

Their red Toyota Corolla was travelling east on the trans-Pennine route at the time and, having left the road on the near side, rolled several times back across the dual carriageway and back on to its wheels.

It then ran up the central reservation and back across the carriageway and back on to the nearside embankment.

The accident happened at about 4.15pm on Saturday.

The driver was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital with severe lacerations to the head and elbow, and broken ribs. His injuries were described yesterday as "not life threatening".

The boy was treated for slight injuries to his back and then released.

A spokesman for Durham Constabulary said: "At the moment, the exact cause of the accident is the subject of an investigation. We have yet to speak to the driver."

Anybody who witnessed the accident and has not spoken to police should contact the accident investigation unit on 0191-386 4929.