A 46-year-old woman was fighting for her life in hospital last night after suffering serious chest injuries during a four-vehicle smash on a major road out of the city.

The woman was in a Renault Clio travelling along Canal Road when the vehicle was in collision with an articulated lorry and sent spinning into opposing traffic by the force of the impact.

The Clio, which had been travelling towards Shipley, was then in collision with a Toyota Yaris and a parked car transporter on the other side of the road.

Canal Road was immediately closed in both directions after the crash, which occurred at around 10.10am at the junction with Station Road, where the dual carriageway stretch of the road merges into a single lane.

The road remained closed throughout much of yesterday, but was expected to be fully re-open by today, police said last night.

The driver of the transporter has described the moment the car spun into the side of his vehicle, trapping its stunned driver and passenger.

Phil Kilpatrick was sitting in his cab parked-up outside the Polar Ford showroom in Canal Road, Bradford, yesterday when he heard a massive bang.

He said: “I looked in my mirror and saw this car rotating across the road. It came right into my side and ended up on its roof, pinned against my load.

“Then there was a second bang, another car that had been coming up behind didn’t have a hope of avoiding it. It just went right into it.

“I hopped out of my cab to try to help. The man in the second car was just sat there dazed. It was the couple in the first car, a Renault Clio, who were in worse trouble.”

Paul Golding, who works for Ford, also rushed to help after hearing a “loud crunch”.

He said: “I managed to pull open the door of the Clio. It was on its side. The man who’d been driving had been thrown out of his seat and was on top of his passenger. I wanted the man to get out but he kept refusing. He said he wanted to stay with his wife. I couldn’t see any injuries on her but she was moaning in a lot of pain.”

A passing ambulance was the first emergency vehicle at the scene followed by three fire appliances, police and a fleet of other ambulances and fast response cars.

Firefighters had to cut the roof of the Clio which had ended up on its side to get the woman passenger out.

The casualties were taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Mr Kilpatrick, of Norfolk, who regularly uses Canal Road to deliver cars said: “It’s a busy road. It’s like a race-track along here. Anyone who works here will tell you that.”

Motorists faced lengthy tailbacks as police diverted traffic away from the scene up towards Frizinghall while the crash was cleared and accident investigation work took place.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information should contact PC 3353 Day on the 101 non emergency number.