A SOUTHAMPTON woman died when her car careered across a busy road, narrowly missing a bus.

Passers-by battled to rescue the middle-aged woman from the wreckage of her small, green car, which came to rest on its side after spinning 180 degrees and striking a tree.

Crash investigators closed Lord's Hill Way immediately after the crash, at about 2pm yesterday, as they tried to establish what had happened.

It is thought the woman, who has not yet been identified, was local and was taken ill at the wheel. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

A woman driving a Peugeot 306 said she almost hit the oncoming car. She said: "It just came across the road in front of me before crashing into bushes."

Motorcyclist Andy, 30, who would not give his full name, was on the scene seconds later.

"When I arrived the car was still swaying on its side," he said. "The number 22 bus had just pulled into the layby in front of it, but I was more concerned about getting access to the vehicle.

"There was a little smoke coming from the engine but that stopped when I turned the ignition off. There were three other people who had stopped - two were NHS staff and I helped them get inside the vehicle to check the woman's pulse."

He said she did not appear to have suffered any injuries during the accident.

"She was unconscious and not breathing. It's very sad," added the electronics engineer.

Workers passing by in a van also stopped and used their ladder to steady the vehicle and give better access to the inside.

Charmaine Harding, from Maybush, said: "There were lots of people peering over, trying to help the woman out before the ambulance arrived."

Police, fire crews and an ambulance were at the scene minutes later - and police raced to cordon off the area before scores of pupils flooded out on the street from nearby Oaklands School.

Senior investigating officer Paula Hennighan said: "It appears that the woman collapsed at the wheel but we're still carrying out investigations before moving the car."