I nearly died after my Range Rover suddenly EXPLODED and burst into flames – I had to throw myself out the window
A MUM-OF-TWO has told of her terror after she was forced to leap from a window when her Range Rover exploded.
Sami Webster was trapped inside the car by the locked doors as smoke began seeping through the dashboard.
The 30-year-old had left the driver’s side window down as it was a warm day – and managed to squeeze through as the vehicle burst into flames.
But she was badly injured, suffering two broken ribs and smoke inhalation during the frightening ordeal.
Sami, of Bolton in Greater Manchester, was just two streets from home when she smelled smoke.
“At first I thought it was the car in front, but when I reached a red light I saw the smoke coming out of my engine,” she said.
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“The Range Rover doors were locked when I set off and the door wouldn’t open.
“I was terrified and frightened for my life as it happened so fast.”
She said it was “so lucky” the weather had been good enough to roll down the windows.
After freeing herself, she ran to safety and called 999.
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“I was really shocked and scared. I’ve got two children – Harper, five, and Kelsey, 11 – and fortunately they were both at school,” she said.
“It could have been so much worse.
“It kept flashing into my mind that they could so easily have been in the car.”
Sami has family in Bradford and Thirsk, Yorkshire, and said she is “forever on the motorway”.
“It doesn’t bear thinking about if the fire had erupted when I was driving on the motorway with all the windows up and two children in the car,” she said.
“I panicked when I saw the smoke and tried to open the door, but it was jammed shut. I was terrified I’d never get out alive.
‘LIFE OR DEATH’
“Thank God it was a sunny day, otherwise I might not have survived. I could so easily have ended up dead.”
She said she thought of her children – and wondered who would pick them up if she “burned alive”.
“It was such a life or death situation,” she said.
Sami bought the Range Rover from Prestige Cars in York for £16,696 on finance just four months ago.
Aviva valued the car at just £14,750 and had offered her £14,050 after her £700 voluntary excess was taken off, she said.
“After this nightmare I am landed with a £2,646 debt through no fault of my own,” she added.
The door was jammed shut. I was terrified I’d never get out alive
“I got a letter from Range Rover at the beginning of April saying the car was scheduled to go in for a recall on April 13, but they never had a courtesy car available, so the recall appointment was put back until April 28.
“This happens just days ahead of that recall, but Range Rover Bolton were quick to tell me that they take no responsibility for the fire. The recall was about engine management, steering and emissions.
“And when I called Prestige Cars they simply said that it was nothing to do with them, which was so disappointing, as it’s not like any motorist does anything to set their car on fire.”
A spokesman for manufacturer Land Rover UK said: “Customer safety is our highest priority.
“We are aware of the incident, and we sympathise with Ms Webster’s experience, the cause of which is yet to be determined.
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“This matter is not linked to the recall action mentioned in Ms Webster’s statement.
“We will support any investigation initiated by the insurer.”