TWO BRAVE friends fought desperately to rescue a taxi driver from the wreckage of his car, minutes before it exploded and burst into flames with him inside.

The two men smashed the front window with a rock and tried to pull the victim free from the cab before they were forced back by the fierce impact of the flames.

Chris Gray, 22, of Russell Road, and Dave Cawley, 39, a Gulf War veteran of Weston Road, had been drinking at the nearby Prospect Inn when three women raised the alarm and urged them to help and contact the emergency services.

The victim of the crash, 45-year-old David Christie, was discovered by the men hanging upside down after the black Mondeo taxi crashed through a wall at Cheshyres Lane, off Weston Road in Runcorn.

It is understood Mr Christie had dropped three women off at the Prospect pub, just yards away from the crash site, before plummeting down a 7ft embankment.

Mr Christie was a Weston Road resident and worked for Grosvenor Taxis in High Street, Runcorn.

His family are said to be too distraught to comment about the incident which happened at 9.15pm on Sunday. Chris, a barman at the Prospect Inn, told how he had acted on pure adrenalin and at first found it difficult to sleep after witnessing the 'horrific' incident.

He said: 'Three girls came in to the Prospect Inn, puffing and panting as they had been running down the road to seek help.

'After calling the emergency services, I went out with my mate Dave and that's when we went to the site and saw the car on its roof.

'The driver had his back to us in the car as it had flipped over, and we couldn't see him moving or breathing.

'We got some rocks to try to break the window with, and I remember the road conditions being wet that night.

'We were desperate because we could see someone in there, but we couldn't get the fellow out.

'There was no noise coming from inside.

'The car then blew up into flames with the man inside, and I have to say it's the most horrific thing I've ever seen.

'At that point we knew there was no chance of getting him out and it was such a terrible feeling.

'The fire service and police arrived within minutes by which time it was on flames - but they just told us to keep well back.

'My mum and dad and sister are just thankful that I'm still alive.'

A fire service spokesman said: 'The car was well alight by the time firefighters arrived and it was a fatal incident.

'The road is single track and very narrow.

'It has a sharp left hand bend, but the victim appeared to have driven straight on.'

A witness, who lives next to Cheshyres Lane, said: 'I'd settled down to watch TV when I heard the bang.

'One of the girls next-door said a car had gone through the wall. Next thing I knew, it blew up.

'Some of the lads from the pub had been trying to get the driver out.

'I spoke to one of them and he was sobbing and saying 'We kicked the window in, but it was no good'.' nAnyone with information should ring police on 01244 613761.