Shocking pictures show drivers' lucky escape after poles smashed through window

These shocking images show how a rush hour driver managed to escape serious injury when metal poles from a van flew through his rear windscreen and smashed into his dashboard.

He was travelling on the M56 at rush hour on Monday evening when he had to brake sharply to avoid hitting the car in front.

As he did that, the load came off the van behind him and smashed through his rear windscreen

The poles narrowly missed his body and became embedded in the dashboard of his car.

His wife sent messages to Highways England via Twitter to tell them what had happened.

"He said the cars in front broke then he had to brake hard avoiding a young lady in a fiesta, when the van behind hit him and the air conditioning metal poles weren’t secured properly and impailed themselves through the back to the dashboard."