A WOMAN motorist is lucky to be alive after her vehicle was hit by a flying rock as she drove to work.

Shocked Gill Ellis, aged 34, from Brinscall, was driving along Blackburn Road towards Botany Bay at 9.15am on Tuesday when a lorry full of rubble went past in the opposite direction and a huge boulder -- the size of football -- fell out and hurtled towards her.

The boulder crashed down on top of the terrified woman's vehicle, just missing the windscreen.

She said: "It looked as though it was going to come straight through the windscreen. But luckily, as I drove forward, it missed the glass by inches and came crashing down on my roof.

"It was such a crash, I felt physically shaken. I am amazed my windscreen didn't smash from the force of it.

"But I can't help thinking if it had been just a second or two later I might not be here now."

Mrs Ellis, who works at the Chorley Citizen, reported the incident to the police straight away. But they told her that, because she did not get the registration number of the lorry, there was nothing they could do at this moment in time.

She said her red Ford van was badly damaged by the rock, but was more concerned that someone might have been killed.

"It's frightening to think that lorries like that are going around the town," she said. "I could easily have lost control of my van and caused an accident."

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: "Unfortunately, under the circumstances, she doesn't have the accurate information for us to make inquiries."

He said if Mrs Ellis can get more information about the incident, such as the lorry's registration number, the police would look into the matter.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident should call the Citizen on 01257 269313. SHOCKED: Gill Ellis surveys the damage