A couple missed death by inches when they were almost impaled on a massive stake after their car ploughed into a fence.

The emergency services could not believe the pensioners had survived the crash after the stake sliced through their engine and tore into the main body of the car between the two front seats.

The vehicle then veered over to the opposite side of the road before ending up on its side in a water-filled ditch.

But amazingly the driver Derek Bailey, 68, and his wife, Patricia, escaped with minor injuries after the accident on the High Marishes to Thornton-le-Dale road, in North Yorkshire, on Sunday,

And the couple, who were said to be badly shaken, decided to continue with their holiday in Scarborough as planned.

Speaking from his hotel room in Scarborough on Monday Mr Bailey, who recently had a heart bypass operation, said he and his wife, Patricia, both felt very lucky to be alive.

He said: "The ambulance crew and fire brigade could not believe that we had escaped alive from this incident. We do feel very lucky."

The couple, who are both retired, had decided to go on holiday on the spur of the moment to take advantage of the good weather.

They were returning to their Scarborough hotel after a visit to Castle Howard when the accident happened.

Mr Bailey, who believes he may have suffered some concussion, said it was difficult to remember exactly what had happened but their Ford Fiesta had hit a fence before veering across the road and ending up in a water-filled ditch.

Amazingly Mr Bailey did not even realise that the wooden stake had ripped into his car until the emergency services told him.

He said: "We must have hit a fence on the right hand side of the road and this piece broke away and came through the car, through the engine compartment and between myself and my wife.

"I think it must have hit my head because I have got a large bump there. But I didn't even realise that it had gone through the car - it all happened so quickly."

Mr Bailey said they had also been extremely lucky that other people had seen the crash at the notorious accident blackspot and had rushed to their aid.

"There were people behind us and they stopped to help," he said, "It was very close to a farm and the people from there heard the noise and came over as well. The car was on its side in the ditch and I couldn't open the door."

After their miraculous escape the couple decided to continue their holiday as planned and were expecting to return to their home in Burley-in-Wharfedale this week.

Mr Bailey said: "They wanted us to go to hospital but with us being on our way to Scarborough we just wanted to get back there."

He said apart from his bump on the head he and his wife had escaped without injury.

He added: "We were a bit shook up last night. The police, ambulance and fire brigade all told us we were lucky to be alive."

Traffic Constable Paul Moon of North Yorkshire's eastern area road policing group said the Ford Fiesta was being driven by Mr Bailey, who did not know the road. It came round a left hand bend too quickly and swerved to avoid a car coming in the opposite direction. The vehicle missed hitting a bridge, but hit fencing on the opposite side of the road.

"A stake went through the car into the driver's compartment, narrowly missing them. They were lucky not to be impaled on the stake," PC Moon said. The vehicle came to rest at the bottom of a 6ft ditch. Mr Bailey received a bump to his head, but his wife was uninjured.

Firefighters from Malton attended the scene, although they were not needed - and they were amazed at the sight they were presented with.

"The post went through the engine into the cab and between the two seats. They are lucky to be alive. If it had been a foot either side they wouldn't be," said Firefighter Mark Weatherall.

Leading Firefighter Steve Bone, who was in charge of the fire crew, said: "When I got there all I saw was a car in a ditch. They told me the people had already got out so I went over to talk to them.

"It was only when I came back that I saw the wooden stake sticking out of the car. I just thought how lucky they'd been. It could have been a lot worse."