Driver dragged to safety from car after ploughing into canal

The car demolished the barriers and nosed dived into the canal

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A middle aged man was extremely fortunate to escape unhurt when he deliberately drove his car straight through barriers on Woodbine Street and nosed dived into the canal at 8.15pm tonight (Tuesday 22 May).

CCTV footage shows the man travelled at speed up Woodbine Street and at the top end screeched round the bend and, without hesitation, aimed straight for the barrier and demolished it and careered over the six foot drop to the canal.

Eyewitness Hafeze Begum said she was stood at her front door opposite having just called her children over from playing with half a dozen other children in the area the car ploughed through. She said: "I saw the car race at a very fast speed up the road; so fast he only just made it round the bend and I thought 'he's not going to stop' as he sped through the bollards and into the canal.

"I am just so pleased my children were not hurt, just minutes earlier they were playing right where the car sped round the corner, they wouldn't have stood a chance."

The man was dragged from the car by Karl Sheldon, who acted without thought for his own safety, despite the fuel tank being ruptured and fuel pouring out. Mr Sheldon said: "I heard the high revs of the car, looked and saw him just as he hit the guard rail. I instinctively ran over and jumped down into the canal. I saw the driver slumped over the wheel and was worried there may be children trapped in the back. I couldn't see anyone else in the car so I yanked the driver's door open and tried to drag the man out. He wasn't happy and told me to leave him alone, but fuel was pouring out from the ruptured fuel tank and I knew it could explode so I dragged him out and lifted him to two men stood above the drop."

Mr Sheldon said the driver "smelled of alcohol" and there was a "bottle of vodka in the car".

Police, fire and ambulance services attended. Paramedics assessed the man and he was found to be unscathed.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed the driver was arrested at the scene. It is understood he failed a breathalyzer.