A woman was taken to hospital after being rescued from her stricken car in Dumfries and Galloway this morning (Tuesday 16 December).

Two crews from Newton Stewart Fire Station were mobilised following a 999 call made to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) around 9:50am.

The caller reported a person within a car on an embankment beside a side road off the A714.

Station Manager Derek Wilson, the incident commander, said: "This operation needed a lot of personnel and firefighters, paramedics and police officers worked extremely closely to conduct an effective rescue.

"It was made more difficult due to the proximity of trees and the fact that ice made conditions underfoot extremely slippery.

"When we arrived paramedics were already inside the vehicle and they were being assisted by a bus driver who stopped at the scene.

"Our firefighters deployed hydraulic equipment to remove a door and the roof of the car, which created the space needed for the casualty to be safely lifted clear.

"We were operating side-by-side with paramedics throughout and this meant pausing at points in the operation so they could administer pain relief to the casualty.

"Our police colleagues were also involved in the rescue effort - moving other vehicles to allow better access and setting up an outer cordon to ensure the safety of the scene."

Emergency responders are frequently called to incidents on the roads, with winter weather making collisions more likely.

Persistent and heavy rain, ice and snow all cause surfaces to become treacherous and can easily result in drivers losing control of their vehicles.

Bright low winter sun on the horizon or reflected from road surfaces can dazzle motorists, while fog and rain also reduce visibility and increase the chance of things going wrong.

Station Manager Wilson added: "We would urge all road users to recognise it can happen to anyone and take steps to reduce the chance they will become a casualty.

"Every motorist should stay aware of the road and weather conditions at all times and always drive at an appropriate speed to avoid putting ourselves, our passengers and others at risk.

"It's important to understand stopping distances are significantly greater when the surface is wet or icy, so we need to reduce speeds and increase the distance left to the car in front."

Further advice on how motorists can stay safe this winter is available from Transport Scotland at www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ready-winter.