POLICE today revealed that a car accident which left a teenager fighting for his life was believed to be a 'prank gone wrong'.

Samuel West, 18, from the Fylde, is now recovering in hospital after suffering serious injuries after falling and hitting his head while riding on a friend's Peugeot 106 car in Grimshaw Street in Burnley town centre.

The teenager, who was staying in the town, was taken to Burnley General Hospital after the incident at about 9.30pm on Monday and later transferred to the Royal Preston Hospital.

He underwent surgery on a suspected skull fracture and bleeding to the brain, but is now recovering in the intensive care unit.

Police said he had lost the sight in one eye, but that the loss of vision could be a temporary effect of the swelling to the brain caused by the accident.

As reported in yesterday's Lancashire Evening Telegraph, a 19-year-old Pendle man was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving.

He was interviewed by police before being released on bail.

Police are appealing for witnesses.

Sgt Gareth Hill, of the Colne-based road policing unit, said: "The young man involved seems to be on the mend and is now off the ventilator, although is still in the intensive care unit.

"This accident does seem to be a prank gone tragically wrong in that the two people involved are friends who got involved in some high jinks.

"There was certainly only one vehicle involved and the driver of that car has been interviewed and has now been released while we continue our investigations and look for more witnesses."