A YOUNG woman narrowly escaped being engulfed by flames coming from her car, thanks to the quick actions of some passerbys.

The vehicle fire happened on the Hankridge Roundabout in Taunton close to Sainsburys, shortly before midday.

Eyewitness Aaron Dunbar who works nearby said: "It was a shock and all happened very quickly.

"We saw a woman stop her car and then a few seconds later the bonnet had a small amount of smoke initially, growing into a flaming inferno.

Somerset County Gazette:

DRAMATIC: Passerbys came to the rescue of a woman whose car caught on fire close to the Hankridge Roundabout in Taunton. PHOTO: Aaron Dunbar.

"Two cars stopped and female passerby came to the rescue helping the lady from her car a minute or so before the flames erupted."

The fire was said to have ben caused by a mechanical failure and fire crews used breathing apparatus and one hose reel jet to extinguish the blaze.

The engine bay of the car was completely destroyed by the fire. 

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said the force was called by the fire service at 12.08pm, and an officer was at the scene to help with traffic management.

Somerset County Gazette: