Car driver lay trapped after gully plunge

The 33-year-old man was discovered yesterday with head injuries and a broken leg by a passing driver near Baitings Reservoir at Ripponden in West Yorkshire. It is possible that the vehicle had left the road, dropping about 50ft into the gully, the night before or in the early hours of the morning. The engine was said to be cold when rescuers arrived.

A passing lorry driver spotted the car and alerted emergency services. When they arrived at 9.55am, the man was semi-conscious and suffering from head injuries and a suspected broken femur.

Fire crews, paramedics, a mountain rescue team and police worked for about two hours to free the man. He was taken to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and was yesterday in a serious condition, not believed to be life-threatening.