Couple thrown from vehicle in high speed crash - updated

A man and woman are in a critical condition in hospital after being thrown from their car as it overturned on Turvin Road in Littleborough at around 7pm this evening, Saturday 14 July.

Two fire crews from Rochdale assisted police and the ambulance service in attending to the couple, who were found thirty feet away from the road.

Their car was found overturned in a ditch nearby and it is thought that the pair were thrown up to seventy feet from their vehicle when it crashed.

The fire crews and paramedics had to scramble across a stream to get to the two casualties, where they were stabilised, given oxygen and treated for trauma.

Their rescuers found it difficult to get the severley injured couple back to the road on the wet and boggy moorland.

A fire service ladder had to be used to cross the stream and paramedics fought to maintain the injured pair's airways before they could get back to the road and they could be rushed to hospital.

The two are now in a serious condition in hospital and it is believed that the female victim has emerged from the crash with the worst injuries.

A police investigation is now underway.

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UPDATE

The victims of the crash are a 26-year-old male driver of the vehicle and a 20-year-old female passenger. They were driving a black Peugeot 306. The car veered off the road during the incident and rolled over several times.

It is believed the Peugot may have been attempting to pass another car when this incident happened and police officers are particularly keen to speak to the driver of that car.

Both the man and woman were taken to Rochdale Infirmary. Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.