Three have lucky escape after high-speed motorway crash

The incident happened at 11pm last night on the eastbound carriageway between junction 13 at Nelson and junction 14 in Colne.

Firefighters, police and ambulance crews were called to the scene but found the three men had fled. The car, a Subaru Impreza, had smashed into the central reservation before flying through the air and landing among trees at the side of the motorway before setting alight.

Emergency services used a thermal imaging camera to search the surrounding area but were unable to find the driver and his passengers.

Two men later visited the urgent care centre at Burnley General Hospital and the driver was arrested on suspicion of motoring offences but all escaped with just cuts and bruises.

Watch manager Gary Ibbitson, from Nelson fire station, said: “The vehicle must have been going at a pretty impressive speed. Miraculously they were just treated for cuts and bruises. It caused a fair bit of damage, it’s taken out a barrier, a lamppost and some trees. How they got out I don’t know. I’ve seen fatalities from less than that. They were extremely lucky.”