Car smash escape for Colin Montgomerie

Yorkshire-raised Montgomerie, 47, who captained Europe to victory over the United States in the Ryder Cup earlier this month, did not require hospital treatment after the crash yesterday.

Strathclyde Police confirmed that the male driver of a van had been charged with road traffic offences after the crash.

Montgomerie's BMW 7-series was involved in the crash at around 11.25am on the A80 at Moodiesburn near Glasgow.

In a statement released yesterday afternoon, Montgomerie said: "I was trapped as the side of the car was compressed and the air bags were holding me back, but the passenger door suddenly opened and I was pulled to safety thanks to other drivers who had witnessed the accident.

"It was a terrible shock and I am lucky to have come out of it relatively unscathed, thanks I am sure to the car I was driving."

A spokeswoman for Strathclyde Police said: "The van driver has been charged with alleged road traffic offences."

Montgomerie felt it was unnecessary to go to hospital and received treatment at the roadside from the ambulance crew before being taken back to his home in Perth.

He pulled out of an event in Inverness today in the wake of the incident. He was to have launched a walk in aid of the Elizabeth Montgomerie Foundation, which he set up in memory of his mother after losing her to cancer.

Montgomerie, a former world number two, returned to playing golf last month and finished joint 41st at the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.

He dropped from 135th to 425th in the world during his term as Ryder Cup captain ahead of the tournament at Celtic Manor, south Wales.

Montgomerie was brought up in Ilkley and the man who was to become the European number one learned to play the game at Ilkley Golf Club.