Rescue drama after car skids, overturns and crashes on busy road

A DRIVER was lucky to survive after his car overturned and slid along one of Huddersfield's busiest main roads.

Firefighters and West Yorkshire paramedics crawled into the badly-damaged green Vauxhall Corsa to help the injured 47-year-old man.

In the end they had to remove the roof to get him out.

The motorist was trapped in the car when it skidded and overturned on Wakefield Road, outside Ravensknowle Park and the Tolson Museum in Moldgreen at 3.45pm yesterday.

Watch manager Alan Woodcock, of Huddersfield Fire Station, said: "The driver was incredibly lucky.

"The car was travelling out of Huddersfield and he ended up in the opposite lane with his head and arm hanging out of the vehicle just millimetres from the road surface.

"He had suffered bad cuts to his head and forearm. The car was on its side and the driver was trapped with his legs caught beneath the steering wheel.

"Patient transport staff from the ambulance service had stopped to help before we got there.

"We then worked with paramedics to help the driver until we could lift the car with airbags and cut the roof off to get him out."

Police are investigating the theory the man may have been taken ill at the wheel moments before the crash.

The Corsa turned on to its side, hit a lamp-post on the central reservation and slid along the road before grinding to a halt.

The injured man was taken to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

His injuries were said to be not life-threatening.

The crash caused major traffic hold-ups on the busy Wakefield Road for more than an hour.

The road was closed during the rescue operation.

It was reopened at 5pm once the damaged car had been shifted.