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Ripped in two - yet everybody survived

17/ 6/2006

A SCENE of utter devastation greeted the emergency services when they arrived at the scene of an accident in Albert Royds Street in October 1969.

Such had been the impact that the car had been torn in two, the back end finishing up mounted on a garden wall yards away from the front, which was wedged between the wall and lamp post.

But, amazingly, police officers and ambulancemen pulled the three occupants out of the wreckage alive.

Most seriously injured was Derek Fielding, aged 31, of Disley Street who suffered two broken legs.

Ernest Leeming, aged 43, of Albert Royds Street and 27-year-old David Cryer of Sydney Street escaped with facial injuries and shock.

The accident had happened soon after 11pm when the car hit the lamp post 20 yards from the Albert Royds Street/Milnrow Road junction.

A fourth man narrowly escaped serious injury.

Edwin Matthews was preparing to go to bed when flying debris from the crash, including a slater's tool called a ripper, smashed through his living room window and narrowly missed his head.

He said: "What would have happened to me if that had hit me I don't know. I heard the bang outside and a split-second later the window shattered and the ripper whizzed by my head."