A stoat survived a high-speed impact that saw it spend the night embedded in the grille of a sports car.
Nicknamed 'Bumper', the animal ended up trapped in the front of the BMW Z4 for more than 30 miles, after driver Merv Draper drove home on the A1 following a nightshift at RAF Cottesmore in Rutland.
Swerving at 60mph to avoid the collision, aeroplane technician Merv had no idea the twelve-inch tyke had hitched a ride home and was left with his head and front legs poking out of the bonnet.
He only discovered Bumper trying to free himself the next morning.
After documenting the stoat's predicament with his camera, Merv went to the vet and phoned the RSPCA to tell them about the strange mishap.
And the little critter was particularly disgruntled when the engineer put his skills to good use, dismantling the front of his car to free him.
"It took me about 45 minutes to pull my car apart to get him out," Merv said.
"He was trying to bite me but I'm pleased he's OK and hopefully he'll stay off the roads in future."
RSPCA inspector Laura Jones said it was a miracle that the animal had escaped unscathed, and confirmed that he's due to be released back into the wild this week.
