A MECHANIC who suffered life-threatening injuries in a road accident is recovering in hospital.

Rob Scott, aged 25, pictured, was just yards away from work when a Vauxhall Astra smashed into his Peugeot car in Bridgeman Street, Bolton, at 7.55am on Saturday.

Firefighters freed Mr Scott and paramedics treated him at the scene before he was taken by air ambulance to Wythenshawe Hospital, a specialist trauma centre in Manchester.

An hour after the crash, police described Mr Scott’s pelvic injuries as “serious and life threatening”, but his condition has since improved and a hospital spokesman last night described him as being “stable and comfortable”.

Three men got out of the Astra after the crash and ran off, police said.

A man at the scene, who asked not to be named, said: “I didn’t see the crash happen, but, right afterwards, the driver of the Astra ran away from the scene and went into Sainsbury’s to hide.”

One of the three men who had been in the Astra was arrested after he failed a breath test, although he was later de-arrested while police carry out inquiries into who was actually driving the car.

Police closed Bridgeman Street between Thynne Street and Fletcher Street for about six hours after the crash.


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It is understood Mr Scott was travelling along Bridgeman Street towards Fletcher Street and the Astra was travelling in the opposite direction.

Mr Scott's manager, Jason Kenny, of Perrys Peugeot, also in Bridgeman Street, said: “Rob works as a service technician here and was on his way to work. He was a minute or so away from arriving. One of his colleagues went with him in the air ambulance.”

Last summer, Mr Scott took part in the Tough Mudder endurance run, which challenges athletes to complete a 12-mile obstacle course set up by the SAS.

Mr Kenny added: “Rob has been with us since he was an apprentice. He likes to keep fit so we're hoping he will recover and are thinking of him.

“He has suffered a fractured pelvis, a fractured femur, a fractured cheekbone and a fractured ankle.

“It looks like it will take him 10 weeks or so to get back to full health.”

A spokesman for University Hospital of South Manchester, which runs Wythenshawe Hospital, said: “Mr Scott is stable and comfortable. He may need to have more treatment here, but he is conscious, breathing and doing well.”

The spokesmen did not say when it was likely he could return home.

On Facebook, a friend said: “Rob is awake and making jokes. It seems he had a lucky escape.”

A police spokesman said: “We are continuing to investigate the sequence of events but, at the moment, no one has been arrested.

“We would appeal for anyone who witnessed the collision to contact us on 101.”