A DRIVER was killed when his car careered off a moorland road and burst into flames after plunging down a ravine.

The tragedy happened when the yellow Renault Megane Coupe left Manchester Road just below the Carriage House pub above Marsden at 7.30pm last night.

The car was travelling down the hill towards Marsden. The death is the third on Huddersfield's roads in just 10 days.

The 31-year-old Marsden man driving the car was trapped in the burning wreckage and died at the scene.

Insp John Barrett, of West Yorkshire Police, said: "It appears the vehicle failed to negotiate a bend, hit a large boulder, a wall and a signpost.

"It then fell down a 30ft gully before bursting into flames."

Marsden firefighters were the first fire crew on the scene, backed up by Slaithwaite and Elland.

Assistant Divisional Officer Graham Earnshaw, of West Yorkshire Fire And Rescue Service, said: "The car had gone through a very low wall before overturning and going down the gully, ending up on its side.

"Witnesses said that immediately after the crash it burst into flames."

The car was gutted by the inferno.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sub-officer Graham Holroyd, of Marsden fire station, said: "The call came in as a road accident, but while we were on our way our control contacted us back to say the car was now on fire.

"When we arrived it was well alight and we couldn't get anywhere near it.

"The fire had taken hold very quickly and there was no chance the driver was still alive."

He said there were no signs of frost on the road and the moorland was very boggy where the car had landed in the gully.

The road was shut for five hours while fire investigators and police accident experts worked at the scene.

Emergency lights were set up so rescue crews could see what they were doing.

A crane was needed to lift the car out of the gully.

The large boulder the car hit was split in two by the force of the impact and could be seen by the roadside today along with the damaged low wall and sign.

The tragedy is the third in Huddersfield in just over a week.

On Friday, February 20, 14-year-old pedestrian Luke Hudson, of Lowerhouses, was killed when he was in an accident with a car on Leeds Road, Bradley.

Last Friday night a 35-year-old Holme Valley man died when his Vauxhall Frontera was in a head-on collision with a single-decker bus.

This tragedy happened on a bend on Woodhead Road in Lockwood just before 8.30pm on Friday.

He was named today as David James Wainwright, 35, of St George's Road, Scholes.

* Anyone who saw last night's tragedy in Marsden or the car before the crash should contact Pc Gavin Brennan at Huddersfield traffic police on 01484 436847.