A DRIVER was fighting for his life last night after suffering serious spinal injuries when his car veered off the road into a row of houses and shops.

The driver, believed to be aged 20, was driving a red Peugeot 306 from Bolton towards Salford when his car flipped over in Manchester Road East, Little Hulton, and hit three businesses, two houses and two parked cars.

The driver was thrown from the seat during the collision, which happened at about 3.30am on Sunday.

He was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital for treatment to extensive injuries including skull fractures, a broken spine and fractured ribs.

His condition was last night described as life-threatening.

Jean Lockley, aged 57, of Manchester Road East, said: “It was a really bad accident. All I remember is hearing a noise outside in the night but I thought I was dreaming.”

The driver, who was the only person in the car, hit two Ford Mondeos and was trapped between his own car and a white Mondeo.

Firefighters had to break into the Mondeo to move the car and free the driver before helping paramedics put him on to a spine board.

Watch commander Kevin Wright, of Farnworth fire station, said: “It is lucky there was no one else around because they could have been killed if they were hit.”

The Peugeot was completely destroyed and the white Mondeo was damaged. Manchester Road East was closed both ways, between Pemberton Street and Smith Fold Lane, for several hours while police carried out investigations. Officers were last night unable to say what had caused the driver to crash.

Sammy’s convenience store, The Massala and Rice and Spice takeaways were damaged in the collision.

Miah Aklus, owner of Sammy’s, said: “I came in at about 8.30am and police were here. It was horrible.

The car smashed straight through the window and it was a mess.

“It’s going to have a big effect on the businesses. I’m just glad no one was here.”