
A young driver escaped with just bruising and a broken rib after his car plunged off cliffs at Beachy Head and crashed onto the rocks below.

The 20-year-old's dark green Honda HR-V 4x4 was completely crushed when it landed on the rocks at the beauty spot near Eastbourne, East Sussex, at 3pm yesterday.

A Coastguard helicopter was deployed to the scene to winch the driver from the beach and fly him to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, but incredibly he was left with only relatively minor injuries.

A young driver had to be airlifted to hospital by helicopter after his Honda 4x4 (circled) plunged off the cliffs at Beachy Head

The car was left completely crushed when it landed on the beach at the spot near Eastbourne, East Sussex, at 3pm yesterday

He is now thought to be recovering at home after leaving hospital.

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) spokesman said a member of the public had raised the alarm following the cliff plunge.

Coastguard teams from Eastbourne and Birling Gap, Eastbourne RNLI, the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance and East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service were also sent to the scene to help free the man from his vehicle.

Emergency services were called to the beach yesterday afternoon at around 3pm after a member of the public raised the alarm

Coastguard teams from Eastbourne and Birling Gap, Eastbourne RNLI, the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance and East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service were also sent to the scene

A Sussex Police spokesman said: 'Emergency services were called to Beachy Head, Eastbourne, to a report of a car having gone over the cliffs on Wednesday at 3pm.

'The vehicle was found to have landed on the beach area.

'The driver, a 20-year-old man, was winched up to the Coastguard helicopter and flown to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton.'

Police later added: 'The driver sustained bruising and a broken rib. We believe he has been discharged from hospital but have received no update from the hospital to confirm that. There are no further police inquiries over the incident.'