Sheffield driver thanks villagers who reunited her with her Spaniel dog after A1 accident between Colsterworth and South Witham

Residents from a village have reunited a woman with her dog after she was involved in an accident on the A1.

Amy Crosbie, of Sheffield, was travelling towards Rutland to visit her family in the early hours of Saturday, November 27, when she and her Spaniel Cross, Betty, were in the car accident between Colsterworth and South Witham.

During the accident Amy was knocked out and when she came to, Betty was no longer in the car and wasn't found until almost seven hours later.

Amy said: "Betty was in the passenger seat of the car, and I remember she was still there as the car rolled.

"All of the windows and windscreen had gone, so presumably she crawled out, or was flung out.

"From what the man who stopped to call an ambulance said, I skidded on some water and lost control."

She continued: "When I got out the vehicle I was looking everywhere for her but was in shock, bleeding, concussed; so once the paramedics arrived they would not let me keep looking and said to go to hospital with them."

"The police were searching for her with body heat cameras, they told me."

As Betty was not found near the A1, Amy was hopeful and had been told that if her dog had crossed the road she would have been heading towards Colsterworth.

While in hospital Amy alerted her sister to what had happened and put a post in the Colsterworth Community Group asking if anyone had seen Betty.

Her post in the community group has been shared more than 1,100 times with people all over the area offering their support.

Betty was found by a Colsterworth resident more than six hours after the accident happened, and was checked over by a vet later that day.

A spokesman from Lincolnshire Police said: "Officers and colleague from the fire service searched for the dog at the time of the incident but couldn’t locate it.

"We’re really pleased to hear she was found and is now back where she belongs."

Amy said: "I feel so grateful to all the people in Colsterworth who helped locate Betty. I was so distressed to wake up with her missing like that.

"She is my best friend, it was so scary to think harm could have come to her.

"To be honest, it's an absolute miracle that we have both walked away from that."