HORRIFIED firefighters watched as a car crashed in front of them and two women were hurled from it to their deaths.

The blue Vauxhall Nova smashed into the car park wall outside The Colliers Arms pub on Park Road, Elland, just after 11pm on Thursday.

One of the dead women has been named as 24-year-old Tracy Marie Easton, of Siddal in Halifax.

She was expecting a baby in two months' time.

The other victim was a 28-year-old woman who has not yet been named.

A 29-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of drink-driving.

Tracy's grieving mum, Marlene Easton, 47, said: "She was loved so much by all her family and now she has been taken away. My life will never be the same without her.

"We'll never get over this nor forgive the person responsible."

The tragedy happened moments after the car overtook a fire engine, which was on its way back to Brighouse fire station after attending an automatic fire alarm at the Lowfields Industrial Estate.

Three women were in the back of the car and all were flung out of the shattered back window as the G-registered Nova smashed into the wall and flipped over on to its side.

The woman who survived, thought to be from Dewsbury, was taken to Calderdale Royal Hospital, Halifax.

The driver managed to get out, but the front seat passenger, a man in his 20s from Huddersfield, suffered head and neck injuries and was trapped in the wreckage. He was also taken to hospital.

Leading firefighter Dick Addinall, of Brighouse fire station, said: "We just could not believe what we were seeing.

"It was all so surreal watching it unfold and there was not a thing we could do about it.

"It was probably only 20 seconds from the time the car overtook us to when it hit the wall. The car overtook us and we watched as it accelerated away."

The car hit the pub car park wall and the shocked firefighters saw the three women passengers flung through the back window.

One died instantly and firefighters battled in vain to save another. She died about 10 minutes later.

They also gave first aid to the other two injured passengers before ambulance crews arrived.

The woman who survived was conscious throughout, but badly hurt.

Part of the wall had collapsed and debris and masonry was strewn around.

Sub-officer Paul Fielding, of Elland fire station, said: "It's such a terrible tragedy at any time of year, but especially now."