A MOTORIST ran off from the scene of a crash this afternoon.

The car — a blue Ford Focus — was badly damaged after smashing into the central reservation in Blackburn Road, Bolton, shortly past its junction with Halliwell Road.

Police were unable to confirm whether the car was stolen but say the driver fled the scene of the crash, which happened at around 1.20pm, and that nobody was injured in the incident.

Witnesses say the driver, a man, was seen running off behind the Masjid Noorul Islam mosque.

One local resident, who was walking to the nearby B&Q store with his mother and 21-month-old son, said they were lucky to avoid being hit by the car.

The witness, who asked not to be named, said: "The car came flying past us. He was definitely driving over the limit, but probably only about 50mph.

"He was weaving in and out of traffic, but then the back end spun out and he bounced off the barrier and ended up next to the bus stop.

"Then the driver ran off behind the billboards and past the mosque.

"The car was complete write-off.

"If we had crossed the road at that point instead of further up then we would have been killed.

"Fortunately we had decided to walk to the next crossing, otherwise he would have hit us."

The driver was described by witnesses as being aged 25 to 30 and of medium build.

A nearby businessman on Blackburn Road added: "The car was an absolute wreck.

"The front and rear ends were both really badly damaged.

"People do speed down this road, some drivers just don't hold back at all, and it's dangerous because there is a bit of the road that is slightly uneven."

A police spokesman said: “We were called just before 1.25pm to reports of a collision in Blackburn Road.

“It appears that the vehicle - a blue Ford Focus - had collided with the central reservation. The car was still at the scene, but the occupant or occupants had fled.”

Anyone with information can call police on 101, quoting incident number 1096.