A RETIRED farmer from Machynlleth is calling on livestock owners and drivers to be more aware of the dangers posed by animals on the road following a 40mph collision with a cow which left a car written-off and its occupants suffering multiple injuries.

Margaret Evans, 69, from Machynlleth, received just under £8,000 in compensation after solicitors brought a successful case against a farmer whose cattle had escaped from a field because of a broken fence.

Mrs Evans was a passenger in the front seat of the Renault Megane returning from an evening out with a friend in 2015 when the car collided with the cow on the A49 in Ludlow.

She suffered injuries to both knees, her shoulders, neck and a bruised forehead. It was so serious she was treated by paramedics for two hours at the scene.

Retired cattle and sheep farmer Mrs Evans said: “It was dark, and it seemed like the cow just appeared in the middle of the road out of nowhere.

“My friend slammed the brakes on but there was no way of us stopping in time. The impact was so heavy that it was surprising the cow survived.

“Even though I was in a lot of pain, I didn’t want to go to hospital, so I ended up going home after being treated at the roadside for a couple of hours. We were very lucky that we weren’t killed.”

Neil Sanders, solicitor at Your Legal Friend who represented Mrs Evans, said: “This was a serious incident and we can see that by the injuries sustained by Mrs Evans.

“Mrs Evans managed to find out who owned the cow that the car struck, and we contacted their representatives. It was revealed that the animal had escaped because a fence was damaged.”

The case was settled out of court.

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