FIREFIGHTERS in North Yorkshire revealed yesterday that a car airbag saved a crash victim from potentially fatal injuries during a two-car crash.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service claimed that one of the victims of the car accident would have suffered serious head injuries if there had not been an airbag.

The accident was on the A6136 between Richmond and Brompton-on-Swale, on Saturday. Two male drivers had to be cut free from their vehicles before they were taken to hospital.

But firefighters said that a 52-year-old doctor, who was driving a Peugeot 406, had been saved by his car airbag. The other 18-year-old male driver, who was driving a Mini, was trapped in his car for more than 30 minutes while firefighters struggled to cut him free.

He was taken to hospital suffering from a broken leg and lacerations.

Assistant divisional officer Nigel Phillips said that without modern safety equipment the Peugeot driver could have suffered potentially fatal injuries in the collision. He added: "It is believed that the driver of the Mini went into an uncontrollable skid on a previous bend and was unable to avoid colliding with the Peugeot.