A SERIOUS crash sealed off part of Huddersfield's ring road for several hours.
A blue Vauxhall Corsa was in a crash with another vehicle before careering onto the wrong side of the road and smashing into a hatchback car coming the other way.
The crash happened on Queensgate at its junction with Alfred Street at 11.10am yesterday.
The junction is controlled by traffic lights.
A 77-year-old Salendine Nook woman driving the blue Vauxhall Corsa was trapped in her badly damaged car with serious leg and arm injuries.
Firefighters had to cut the roof off so she could be gently lifted free.
She was then put onto a special longboard designed to support people with suspected back and neck injuries.
The rescue drama was captured by Examiner photographer Peter Cottle.
The woman was taken to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary where she remains today. She is thought to have suffered a broken arm and leg.
The driver of the car going the other way - a silver Peugeot 307 - was not badly hurt.
The driver of the car involved in the first collision - a Skoda estate - was unhurt.
The initial impact happened at the traffic lights at Queensgate and Alfred Street. The Renault was coming up Queensgate and the Skoda was turning right out of Alfred Street.
Crew Manager Dave Boothroyd, of Huddersfield fire station, said: "The lady was clearly in a lot of pain and paramedics said they wanted us to get her out of the car as quickly as we could once they had assessed her condition."
Firefighters covered her with a green lightweight sheet and then protected her with a shield while they used hydraulic gear to slice the roof off.
That section of ring road was sealed off for several hours while police accident investigation experts worked at the scene. It snarled up traffic elsewhere on the ring road around the town.
Witnesses should contact Pc Ian Harris at Huddersfield traffic police on 01484 436847.
