This is the nerve-wracking moment a jack-knifed lorry narrowly avoided ploughing into oncoming cars.

Dramatic dashcam footage shows the red container truck skidding towards vehicles waiting at a red light in Liaoning, China, on August 20.

The quick-thinking trucker managed to halt just in time, stopping bumper-to-bumper with a white sedan and only inches away from a stationary hatchback.

Meanwhile, a Volkswagen hastily pulled away, only to circle back and return to the same spot before setting off again.

An onlooker said: 'The driver seemed nervous and struggled to control the hatchback's direction.'

The near miss caused a brief traffic disruption at the busy junction.

No injuries were reported.