A driver survived a horror crash when his car was almost cut in two when it smashed into a lamppost in Valley Road, Bradford, early today.

The man in his 30s, who has not been named, was recovering in Bradford Royal Infirmary last night with a suspected broken leg after the accident which occurred at about 1.45am near the Tesco supermarket.

It is believed that the force of the collision hurled him from the driver's seat into the front passenger seat. He had to be cut free from the wreckage by firefighters.

Harvey Stewart, watch manager at Bradford fire station, said: "When we saw the car, which had been almost cut in two, we expected the worse. The driver was trapped in the vehicle and had been thrown on to the passenger side of the car, which is probably what saved him.

"The lamppost ended up where he would have been sitting. I have seen similar crashes but they have always been fatal. How he managed to survive is an absolute miracle; none of us could believe it."