One killed and two injured in fireball after car smashes into tree

Published on Monday 3 March 2008 09:31

A MAN was killed and two were injured when a car hit a tree and caught fire.

Neighbours managed to pull one of the men free from the burning car after the accident in West Lothian yesterday.

The crash happened as the car rounded a bend in the B7008 coming into West Calder at around 7.30am.

Residents in Harburn Road described hearing a sound "like an explosion" and rushing out to see the car in flames in a field.

One man managed to escape from the car by himself. Two neighbours and two passers-by heard a second man shouting from the car. They managed to pull him out before the emergency services arrived.

Firefighters arrived within minutes, and put out the fire.

The third man was pronounced dead at the scene. He has not yet been named.

One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: "I was in the house when I heard a car alarm wailing. Then I heard a sound like an explosion. I went out the house and the car was just a fireball. People were shouting at me to stay away. We thought there could be another explosion."

Margaret Kay, 52, who lives opposite the scene of the accident, said: "It was quite horrific.

"My son-in-law was trying to get the boys out the car. I'm so proud of him. They heard someone shouting inside the car and they managed to pull him out."