A MAN has escaped serious injury after his car lost control on an icy Lake District pass, rolling nearly 40 metres - 130 feet - down a bank into a beck.

Emergency services - police, firefighters, paramedics - as well as the Great North Air Ambulance Service and members of Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team were involved in the operation to rescue the man yesterday.

It was one of a large number of incidents and crashes that have caused problems across Cumbria today amid continued icy and cold conditions.

A statement by the west Cumbrian mountain rescue team, on social media, said: "We’ve just attended an incident where a car lost control left the road on Whinlatter Pass and rolled nearly 40m down the bank into the beck. Fortunately the driver escaped any serious injury and managed to walk away from the scene.

"Please take note of the Cumbria Police advice to take care, and maybe stay off the roads if you don’t need to travel, until things have warmed up a bit."

It added: "We are now busy gritting the parking area at our base, because it’s a struggle to walk across it without falling over......

"Thanks to all the other organisations involved - Great North Air Ambulance,Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service, North West Ambulance Service and Cumbria Police."

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The crash came after as police revealed they had to deal with more than 20 road crashes and incidents related to the weather conditions.

The A66 main route across Cumbria been closed in two places because of ice.

The A66 was closed near its most westerly point in Workington.

The Stainburn bypass was one of two stretches waiting for gritters to treat them.

A stretch further east in Eden, at Temple Sowerby, was also affected but reopened just after 11.30am.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The A66 has reopened in both directions . Expect some delays and be aware of potentially freezing conditions but it is now open between Penrith and Scotch Corner.</p>— Cumbria Police (@Cumbriapolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cumbriapolice/status/941995245419495424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A66 Currently closed at Temple Sowerby both directions until gritter has attended. Sudden drop in temperature . Ice developing . Number of collisions .</p>— Cumbria Police (@Cumbriapolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cumbriapolice/status/941981774883717120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A police spokesman said: "None of them have involved people suffering serious injury.

"Whilst some have been vehicles skidding off the road, others have involved collisions.

"Some have involved one vehicle, some involve several, and they're due to sporadic ice patches that have been forming on the roads."
One has involved four vehicles on the A590 near Greenodd.

Problems initially occurred in the west of the county, before heading across south Cumbria and latterly north and east of the county.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Do not assume only minor roads will be affected by Ice . We have reports major routes such as the A66 is affected at Temple Sowerby area and A590 Greenodd . Ensure your journey is essential and vehicle suitable for the journey you plan .</p>— Cumbria Police (@Cumbriapolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cumbriapolice/status/941976828205502464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Yesterday's treacherous road conditions happened while a Met Office yellow warning for ice was in force until late morning.

A new warning about plummeting temperatures and further icy conditions was issued and will be valid until 10.30am this morning.

It states: "Icy patches will be a hazard on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths. Some injuries are possible from slips and falls on icy surfaces."

The chief forecaster predicts: "Any showers will die out during Saturday evening, with temperatures falling below freezing across much of the area, allowing a frost and some icy patches to develop.

"Outbreaks of rain will spread eastwards later in the night and during Sunday morning, with some of this rain possibly falling onto surfaces that will still be below freezing, thus increasing the risk of ice for a few hours."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A yellow severe weather warning for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ice?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ice</a> has been issued: <a href="https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs">https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs</a> Stay <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/weatheraware?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#weatheraware</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/metofficeUK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@metofficeuk</a> <a href="https://t.co/5K0fz9Bp2g">pic.twitter.com/5K0fz9Bp2g</a></p>— Met Office (@metoffice) <a href="https://twitter.com/metoffice/status/941985365354844160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Several high routes in the Lake District - Newlands Pass at Buttermere, Hardknott Pass at Eskdale and Ennerdale Bridge on the Cold Fell Road - continue to be shut by icy conditions.

They have been closed for several days as the cold snap continues.